8-K
false000177217700017721772023-04-102023-04-10
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
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Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 10, 2023 |
KURA SUSHI USA, INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
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Delaware |
001-39012 |
26-3808434 |
(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(IRS Employer
Identification No.) |
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17461 Derian Avenue, Suite 200 |
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Irvine, California |
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92614 |
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) |
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(Zip Code) |
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Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (657) 333-4100 |
(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:
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Title of each class
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Trading
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Name of each exchange on which registered
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Class A Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share |
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KRUS |
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The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC |
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 April 10, 2023, Kura Sushi USA, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Citigroup Global Markets Inc., William Blair & Company, L.L.C. and Barclays Capital Inc. as representatives of the Underwriters listed on Schedule I attached thereto (the “Underwriters”). Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the Company agreed to sell 1,100,000 shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), to the Underwriters at a price of $54.00 per share (the “Offering Shares”), and granted the Underwriters the option to purchase up to an additional 165,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock (the “Option Shares” and together with the Offering Shares, the “Shares”). On April 11, 2023, the Underwriters exercised their option to purchase all of the Option Shares.
The Underwriting Agreement contains customary representations, warranties, and covenants of the Company and also provides for customary indemnification by the Company in favor of the Underwriters against certain liabilities and customary contribution provisions in respect of those liabilities.
The offering and sale of the Common Stock was made pursuant to the Company’s effective Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-269040) (the “Registration Statement”) filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on December 28, 2022 and a related prospectus supplement dated April 10, 2023, to the base prospectus contained in the Registration Statement, filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act. The sale of the Shares pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement closed on April 13, 2023.
The foregoing description of the Underwriting Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Underwriting Agreement, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 1.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.
On April 13, 2023, the Company closed on its public offering of an aggregate of 1,265,000 shares of Class A Common Stock. A copy of the press release announcing the closing of the offering is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
The information furnished with this Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K and Exhibit 99.1, shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference into any other filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
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.
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KURA SUSHI USA, INC. |
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Date: |
April 13, 2023 |
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By: |
/s/ Jeffrey Uttz |
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Name: |
Jeffrey Uttz |
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Title: |
Chief Financial Officer |
EX-1
Exhibit 1.1
1,100,000 Shares
KURA SUSHI USA, INC.
CLASS A COMMON STOCK
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
April 10, 2023
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
William Blair & Company, L.L.C.
Barclays Capital Inc.
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
c/o Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
388 Greenwich Street
New York, New York 10013
William Blair & Company, L.L.C.
150 North Riverside Plaza
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Barclays Capital Inc.
745 7th Avenue
New York, New York 10019
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Kura Sushi USA, Inc. (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell an aggregate of 1,100,000 shares (the “Firm Shares”) of the Company’s Class A Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Class A Common Stock”), to the several underwriters (collectively, the “Underwriters”), named in Schedule I to this agreement (this “Agreement”), for whom Citigroup Global Markets Inc. (“Citigroup”), William Blair & Company, L.L.C. (“William Blair”) and Barclays Capital Inc. (“Barclays”) are acting as representatives (Citigroup, together with William Blair and Barclays, are collectively referred to herein as the “Representatives”). The Company has also agreed to grant to the Underwriters an option (the “Option”) to purchase up to an additional 165,000 shares of Class A Common Stock (the “Option Shares”) on the terms set forth in Section 1(b) hereof. The Firm Shares and the Option Shares (to the extent the aforementioned option is exercised) are herein collectively called the “Shares.” The shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of the Company (the “Class B Common Stock”) are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Common Stock.”
The Registration Statement (as defined herein) (i) has been prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations (the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder; (ii) has been filed with the Commission under the Securities Act; and (iii) has been declared effective under the Securities Act. As used in this Agreement:
(i) “Applicable Time” means 10:30 p.m., New York City time, on April 10, 2023;
(ii) “Base Prospectus” means the base prospectus, dated January 6, 2023, included in the Registration Statement;
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(iii) “General Disclosure Package” means, as of the Applicable Time, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, together with (A) the information set forth on Schedule V hereto, and (B) each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus identified on Schedule III hereto, other than a road show that is an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus but is not required to be filed under Rule 433 of the Rules and Regulations;
(iv) “Effective Date” means the date and time as of which the Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto, became or becomes effective;
(v) “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means each “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations) or “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433 of the Rules and Regulations) prepared by or on behalf of the Company or used or referred to by the Company in connection with the offering of the Shares;
(vi) “Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433 (the “Bona Fide Electronic Road Show”)), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule IV;
(vii) “Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus;
(viii) “Preliminary Prospectus” means any preliminary prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus supplement) relating to the offering of the Shares filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations that is filed prior to the filing of the Prospectus, together with the Base Prospectus;
(ix) “Prospectus” means the final prospectus (including any prospectus supplement thereto) relating to the offering of the Shares, as filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations, together with the Base Prospectus;
(x) “Registration Statement” means the registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-269040), as amended as of the Effective Date, including any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus and all exhibits to such registration statement, and, in the event any post-effective amendment thereto or Rule 462(b) Registration Statement becomes effective prior to the Closing Date (as defined below), shall also mean such registration statement as so amended or such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, as the case may be;
(xi) “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement” shall mean a registration statement and any amendments thereto filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) relating to the offering covered by the Registration Statement referenced in Section 1(a) hereof;
(xii) “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act; and
(xiii) “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations.
Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 that were filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) prior to the Effective Date or the issue date of the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the Effective Date or the issue date of the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference.
The Company confirms as follows their agreement with the Representatives and the several other Underwriters:
1.Agreement to Sell and Purchase.
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(a)Purchase of Firm Shares. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company contained herein and subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company agrees to sell to the several Underwriters and each of the several Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price per share of $51.30 (the “Purchase Price”), the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I, plus such additional number of Firm Shares which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to Section 9 hereof.
(b)Purchase of Option Shares. Subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company grants the Option to the several Underwriters to purchase, severally and not jointly, all or less than all of the Option Shares at the Purchase Price less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Shares but not payable on the Option Shares. The Option may be exercised in whole or in part at any time on or before the 30th day after the date of this Agreement, upon written notice (the “Option Shares Notice”) by the Representatives to the Company no later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, at least two and no more than five business days before the date specified for closing in the Option Shares Notice (the “Option Closing Date”) setting forth the aggregate number of Option Shares to be purchased and the time and date for such purchase. On any Option Closing Date, the Company shall issue and sell to the Underwriters the number of Option Shares set forth in the Option Shares Notice and each Underwriter shall purchase from the Company such percentage of the Option Shares as is equal to the percentage of Firm Shares that such Underwriter is purchasing, as adjusted by the Representatives in such manner as they deem advisable to avoid fractional shares.
(a)Closing. Delivery of the Firm Shares shall be made to the Representatives through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) for the respective accounts of the Underwriters against payment of the Purchase Price by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the Company. Such payment shall be made at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the second business day (the third business day, should the offering be priced after 4:00 p.m., New York City time) after the date on which the first bona fide offering of the Firm Shares to the public is made by the Underwriters or at such time on such other date, not later than ten business days after such date, as may be agreed upon by the Company and the Representatives (such date is hereinafter referred to as the “Closing Date”).
(b)Option Closing. To the extent the Option is exercised, delivery of the Option Shares against payment by the Representatives (in the manner and at the location specified above) shall take place at the time and date (which may be the Closing Date, but not earlier than the Closing Date) specified in the Option Shares Notice.
(c)Electronic Transfer. Electronic transfer of Shares shall be made at the time of purchase in such names and in such denominations as the Representatives shall specify.
3.Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to, and covenants with, each Underwriter as follows:
(a)Registration Statement. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act. Copies of the Registration Statement and each of the amendments thereto have been delivered to the Representatives. The Registration Statement, at the Applicable Time, meets the requirements set forth in Rule 415(a)(1)(x) under the Securities Act. The initial Effective Date of the Registration Statement was not earlier than the date three years before the Applicable Time.
(b)Effectiveness of Registration. The Registration Statement, any Rule 462 Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto have been declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act or have become effective pursuant to Rule 462 of the Rules and Regulations. The Company has complied to the Commission’s satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462 Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are threatened by the Commission.
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(c)Accuracy of Registration Statement. Each of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462 Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective and at all subsequent times, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date and at all subsequent times, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made. Each Preliminary Prospectus (including the preliminary prospectus or prospectuses filed as part of the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto) complied when so filed in all material respects with the Rules and Regulations, and each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering is identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission on EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T. The foregoing representations and warranties in this Section (c) do not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance on and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished in writing to the Company by the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (“Underwriters’ Information”). For all purposes of this Agreement, the amounts of the selling concession, the names of the Underwriters, and the tenth (other than the first sentence), eleventh and twelfth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” set forth in the Prospectus constitute the only “Underwriters’ Information” relating to any Underwriter furnished in writing to the Company by the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the preliminary prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
(d)Documents Incorporated by Reference. The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the General Disclosure Package, at the time filed with the Commission, in each such case, conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act, and when taken together with the other information in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the General Disclosure Package, as the case may be, did not, do not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(e)Company Not Ineligible Issuer. (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement relating to the Shares and (ii) as of the date of the execution and delivery of this Agreement (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations), without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.
(f)Disclosure at the Time of Sale. As of the Applicable Time, neither (i) the Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus(es) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, nor (ii) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, nor (iii) any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the General Disclosure Package based upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the Underwriters’ Information.
(g)Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), does not include any information that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with the Underwriters’ Information. If at any time following the issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement relating to the Shares or included or would include an untrue statement of material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the
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Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representatives and has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
(h)Distribution of Offering Material by the Company. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the Closing Date, any Option Closing Date and the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Shares, any offering material in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares other than any Testing-the-Waters Communication made in compliance with Section (qq) hereof, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(i)Due Incorporation; Subsidiaries.
The Company is, and at the Closing Date will be, a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware. The Company has, and at the Closing Date will have, full power and authority to conduct all the activities conducted by it, to own or lease all the assets owned or leased by it and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company is, and at the Closing Date will be, duly licensed or qualified to do business in and in good standing as a foreign corporation in all jurisdictions in which the nature of the activities conducted by it or the character of the assets owned or leased by it makes such licensing or qualification necessary, except where and to the extent that the failure to be so licensed or qualified or to be in good standing would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect (as defined below).
The Company has no subsidiaries (as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations).
(j)Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Capitalization.” The outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock and any other outstanding capital stock of the Company have been, and the Shares will be, duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and will not be subject to any preemptive, first refusal or similar right. The descriptions of the Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are now, and at the Closing Date will be, complete and accurate in all material respects. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company does not have outstanding, and at the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date will not have outstanding, any options to purchase, or any rights or warrants to subscribe for, or any securities or obligations convertible into, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell, any shares of capital stock of the Company or any such warrants, convertible securities or obligations. There are no stockholder agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s share capital to which the Company is a party or to or between or among any of the Company’s stockholders. Upon the issuance and delivery pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, the Underwriters will acquire good and marketable title to the Shares, free and clear of any lien, charge, claim, encumbrance, pledge, security interest, defect or other restriction of any kind whatsoever.
(k)Capital Stock. The capital stock of the Company, including the Shares, conforms in all material respects to each description thereof contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(l)Financial Statements. The financial statements (including the related notes thereto) and schedules included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the financial condition of the Company as of the respective dates thereof and their results of operations and cash flows for the respective periods covered thereby, all in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied in the United States on a consistent basis throughout the entire period involved. Except as included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable.
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(m)Independent Accountant. KPMG LLP (the “Accountant”), who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is (i) an independent accountant as required by the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and by the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”), (ii) in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act and (iii) a registered public accounting firm as defined by the PCAOB whose registration has not been suspended or revoked and who has not requested such registration to be withdrawn.
(n)No Material Adverse Changes. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and prior to the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been a material adverse change, or any development that would be expected to result in a material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, assets, management, business prospects, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations or capitalization of the Company arising for any reason whatsoever (a “Material Adverse Change”), (ii) the Company has not incurred, nor will it incur, any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, nor has it entered into, nor will it enter into, any material transactions not in the ordinary course of business, other than pursuant to this Agreement and the transactions referred to herein, (iii) the Company has not and will not have paid or declared any dividends or other distributions of any kind on any class of its capital stock and (iv) the Company has not altered its method of accounting.
(o)Investment Company. The Company is not, and, after giving effect to the issuance and sale of the Shares and the use of the proceeds therefrom as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will not be required to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).
(p)Litigation. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no actions, suits or proceedings pending, or to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting, the Company or any of its directors or officers in their capacity as such, before or by any foreign, federal or state court, commission, regulatory body, including the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, administrative agency or other governmental body, domestic or foreign, wherein an unfavorable ruling, decision or finding could reasonably be expected to (i) have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, assets, management, business prospects, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations or capitalization of the Company, or (ii) prevent or materially interfere with this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement (any such effect, prevention or interference, a “Material Adverse Effect”). The Company has not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any authorization, approval, order, license, certificate, franchise or permit. There are no pending investigations known to the Company involving the Company by any governmental agency having jurisdiction over the Company or its business or operations.
(q)Compliance with Laws and Regulations and Performance of Obligations and Contracts. The Company has, and at the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date. will have, (i) complied in all material respects with all laws, regulations and orders applicable to it or its business and (ii) performed all obligations required to be performed by it, and is not, and at the Closing Date will not be, in default under any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, voting trust agreement, loan agreement, bond, debenture, note agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument (individually, a “Contract” and collectively, “Contracts”) to which it is a party or by which its property is bound or affected, except in the case of this clause (ii) as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, no other party under any Contract to which it is a party is in default in any respect thereunder or has given written or oral notice to the Company or any of its officers or directors of such other party’s intention to terminate, cancel or refuse to renew any Contract. The Company is not now, and at the Closing Date will not be, in violation of any provision of its certificate of incorporation or by-laws. The disclosures included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus concerning the effects of federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules and regulations on the business of the Company as currently conducted and as proposed to be conducted are correct in all material respects.
(r)No Consent of Governmental Body Needed. No consent, approval, authorization, license, registration, qualification or order of, or any filing or declaration with, any court or arbitrator or governmental or
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regulatory authority, agency or body is required in connection with the authorization, issuance, transfer, sale or delivery of the Shares by the Company, in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company or in connection with the taking by the Company of any action contemplated hereby, except as have been obtained under the Securities Act and such as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws or the by-laws and rules of FINRA in connection with the purchase and distribution by the Underwriters of the Shares to be sold by the Company.
(s)Agreement Duly Authorized. The Company has full corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(t)No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, and the application of the net proceeds from the offering and sale of the Shares to be sold in the manner set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds” do not and will not (i) violate the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or (ii) result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of the assets of the Company pursuant to the terms or provisions of, or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or give any other party a right to terminate any of its obligations under, or result in the acceleration of any obligation under any Contract to which the Company is a party or by which the Company or any of its properties is bound or affected, except as could not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect, or violate or conflict with any judgment, ruling, decree, order, law, statute, rule or regulation of any court or other governmental agency or body applicable to the business or properties of the Company.
(u)Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company has good and marketable title to all properties and assets described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as being owned by it, in each case, free and clear of all liens, charges, encumbrances or restrictions, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or are not, individually or in the aggregate, material to the business of the Company. The Company has valid, subsisting and enforceable leases for the properties described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as leased by it, with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such properties by the Company.
(v)Documents Described in Registration Statement. There is no document or Contract of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement that is not described or filed as required. All such documents and Contracts described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement were duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, constitute valid and binding agreements of the Company and are enforceable against the Company in accordance with the terms thereof, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles.
(w)No Untrue Statement; Statistical and Market Data. No statement, representation, warranty or covenant made by the Company in this Agreement or made in any certificate or document required by this Agreement to be delivered to the Representatives was or will be, when made, inaccurate, untrue or incorrect. All statistical or market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate, and the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources to the extent required.
(x)No Price Stabilization or Manipulation. Neither the Company nor any of its directors, officers or controlling persons has taken, directly or indirectly, any action intended to cause or result in, or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, or which has constituted, stabilization or manipulation, under the Securities Act or otherwise, of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(y)Rights. Except as described in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus: (i) no person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Company to issue or sell to it any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock or other equity interests of the Company; (ii) no person has any preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase
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any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock of or other equity interests in the Company; (iii) no person has the right to act as an underwriter, agent, financial advisor to the Company or in any similar capacity in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares; and (iv) no person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Company to register under the Securities Act any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock of or other equity interests in the Company, or to include any such shares or interests in the Registration Statement or the offering contemplated thereby.
(z)Stock Exchange Listing. The Shares have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Global Market, subject only to official notice of issuance.
(aa)Labor Matters. The Company is not involved in any labor dispute except, where the dispute would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, is any such dispute threatened.
(bb)No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any director or officer of the Company, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee or representative of the Company or its affiliates or other persons associated with or acting on behalf of the Company, has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment of corporate funds or benefit to any foreign or domestic government or regulatory official or employee, including, without limitation, of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offense under any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit. The Company has instituted, maintained and enforced, and will continue to maintain and enforce, policies and procedures designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.
(cc)Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions in which the Company conducts business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental or regulatory agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(dd)No Conflicts with Sanctions Laws. Neither the Company nor any director or officer of the Company, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee or representative of the Company or its affiliates or other persons associated with or acting on behalf of the Company is currently the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or the target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, the Crimean Region of Ukraine, the Kherson Region of Ukraine, the Zaporizhzhia Region of Ukraine, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic and any other Covered Region of Ukraine identified pursuant to Executive Order 14065, Sudan and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such
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funding or facilitation, is the subject or the target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. For the past five years, the Company has not knowingly engaged in, is not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.
(ee)Taxes. The Company has filed all federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns, except insofar as the failure to file such returns would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and paid all taxes required to be filed or paid by it and, if due and payable, any related or similar assessment, fine or penalty levied against it. The Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in the applicable financial statements referred to in Section (l) hereof in respect of all federal, state and foreign income and franchise taxes for all periods as to which the tax liability of the Company has not been finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company is not aware of any material claims against it by any taxing authority in relation to the filing of tax returns or the payment of required taxes.
(ff)Insurance. The Company carries, or is covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company believes are adequate for the conduct of their business and the value of their properties and is customary for companies engaged in similar industries, and all such insurance is in full force and effect. The Company has no reason to believe that it will not be able to (i) renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as currently conducted or proposed to be conducted and at a cost that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.
(gg)Defined Benefit Plans. The Company has not maintained or contributed to a defined benefit plan as defined in Section 3(35) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”). No plan maintained or contributed to by the Company that is subject to ERISA (an “ERISA Plan”) (or any trust created thereunder) has engaged in a “prohibited transaction” within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) that could subject the Company to any material tax penalty on prohibited transactions and that has not adequately been corrected. Each ERISA Plan is in compliance in all material respects with all reporting, disclosure and other requirements of the Code and ERISA as they relate to such ERISA Plan, except for any noncompliance which would not result in the imposition of a material tax or monetary penalty. With respect to each ERISA Plan that is intended to be “qualified” within the meaning of Section 401(a) of the Code, either (i) a determination letter has been issued by the Internal Revenue Service stating that such ERISA Plan and the attendant trust are qualified thereunder, or (ii) the remedial amendment period under Section 401(b) of the Code with respect to the establishment of such ERISA Plan has not ended and a determination letter application will be filed with respect to such ERISA Plan prior to the end of such remedial amendment period. The Company has never completely or partially withdrawn from a “multiemployer plan,” as defined in Section 3(37) of ERISA.
(hh)Intellectual Property. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company owns, has valid and enforceable licenses for or otherwise has adequate rights to use all technology (including but not limited to patented, patentable and unpatented inventions and unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), designs, processes, licenses, patents, trademarks, service marks, trade secrets, trade names, know how, copyrights and other works of authorship, computer programs, technical data and information and all similar intellectual property or proprietary rights (including all registrations and applications for registration of, and all goodwill associated with, any of the foregoing, as applicable) (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) that are or could reasonably be expected to be material to its business as currently conducted or to the manufacture, operation and sale of any products and services sold by the Company. The Intellectual Property of the Company has not been adjudged by a court or other administrative body of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unenforceable in whole or in part. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) there are no third parties who have established or, to the knowledge of the Company, will be able to establish, rights to any Intellectual Property owned by, or licensed to, the Company, except for, and to the extent of, the ownership rights of the owners of the Intellectual Property which the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus disclose is licensed to the Company; (ii) to the
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knowledge of the Company, there is no infringement, misappropriation or other violation by third parties of any Intellectual Property owned by, or licensed to, the Company; (iii) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Company’s rights in or to any Intellectual Property owned by, or licensed to, the Company, and the Company is unaware of any facts which could form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim; (iv) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity, enforceability or scope of any Intellectual Property owned by, or licensed to, the Company, and the Company is unaware of any facts which could form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim; (v) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that (nor has the Company received any claim from a third party that) the Company infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated any intellectual property rights of others, and the Company is unaware of any facts which could form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim; (vi) the Company has complied with and there has been no material breach or default under the terms of each agreement pursuant to which Intellectual Property has been licensed to the Company, and all such agreements are in full force and effect; (vii) to the knowledge of the Company, there is no patent or patent application that contains claims that interfere with the issued or pending claims of any of the Intellectual Property owned by or licensed to the Company or that challenges the validity, enforceability or scope of any such Intellectual Property; and (viii) to the knowledge of the Company, there is no prior art that may render any patent application within such Intellectual Property unpatentable that has not been disclosed to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is not obligated or under any liability whatsoever to make any material payment by way of royalties, fees or otherwise to any owner or licensee of, or other claimant to, any Intellectual Property, with respect to the use thereof or in connection with the conduct of its business or otherwise.
(ii)Protection of Intellectual Property. The Company has taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all its Intellectual Property constituting trade secrets of the Company in all material respects and has no reason to believe that such Intellectual Property is not or, if not yet patented or registered, would not be, valid and enforceable against an unauthorized user.
(jj)Related Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or related party transactions involving the Company or any other person required to be described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus that have not been described.
(kk)Environmental Matters. The Company (A) is in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state, local and non-U.S. laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) has received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of it under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct its businesses and (C) is in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval.
(ll)Controls and Procedures.
(i)Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company maintains an effective system of disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act) that (A) are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and its principal financial officer by others within that entity, particularly during the periods in which the periodic reports required under the Exchange Act are being prepared; (B) provide for the periodic evaluation of the effectiveness of such disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by the Company’s most recent annual or quarterly report filed with the Commission; and (C) are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established.
(ii)Internal Control Over Financial Reporting and Internal Accounting Controls. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company maintains (A) effective “internal control over financial reporting” as defined in, and in compliance with, Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act, and (B) a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (1) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (2) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied in the United States and to maintain asset accountability; (3) access to assets is permitted
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only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (4) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
(iii)No Material Weakness in Internal Controls. Since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (A) no material weakness (as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X of the Commission) in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (B) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Neither the Company nor the Board of Directors of the Company is aware of (x) any significant deficiency or material weakness in the design or operation of its internal control over financial reporting which is reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year; or (y) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls (it being understood that this subsection shall not require the Company to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith as of an earlier date than it would otherwise be required to so comply under applicable law).
(mm)Sarbanes-Oxley. The Company has taken all necessary actions to ensure that, upon the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, it will be in compliance with all provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) that are then in effect and with which the Company is required to comply as of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement.
(nn)Accurate Disclosure. The statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the captions “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences,” “Description of Capital Stock” and “Underwriting” insofar as such statements contain descriptions of the terms of statutes, rules, regulations or legal or governmental proceedings, or contracts or other documents, are fair and accurate in all material respects.
(oo)Licenses and Permits. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company holds, and is operating in compliance with, such permits, licenses, franchises, registrations, exemptions, approvals, authorizations and clearances of any other governmental authorities required for the conduct of its business as currently conducted (collectively, the “Permits”), and all such Permits are in full force and effect; and (ii) the Company has fulfilled and performed all of its obligations with respect to the Permits, and, to the knowledge of the Company, no event has occurred which allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or results in any other impairment of the rights of the holder of any Permit. The Company has not received any notification, correspondence or any other written or oral communication, including notification of any pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened claim, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action from any governmental authority of potential or actual material non-compliance by, or material liability of, the Company under any Permits. To the knowledge of the Company, there are no facts or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to give rise to any material liability of the Company under any Permits.
(pp)Emerging Growth Company Status. From the time of initial filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).
(qq)Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company (i) has not engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representatives with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed or approved for distribution any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Schedule IV hereto. Each Written Testing-the-Waters Communication listed on Schedule IV
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hereto did not, as of the Applicable Time, and at all times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Shares will not, include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.
(rr)No Rating. The Company has no debt securities or preferred stock that are rated by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act).
(ss)No Broker’s Fees. The Company is not a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement and that certain Agreement with ICR Capital LLC, dated January 30, 2023) that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.
(tt)Insolvency. No event of insolvency has occurred in relation to the Company, nor is there, nor will there be at the Closing Date, any act which has occurred or, to the best of the knowledge of the Company, is anticipated to occur which is likely to result in an event of insolvency in relation to the Company.
(uu)Cybersecurity. (i)(A) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has been no security breach or other compromise of or relating to any of the Company’s information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data (including the data of their respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third-party data maintained by or on behalf of them), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) other than any breach or other compromise that did not have and would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect and (B) the Company has not been notified of, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any security breach or other compromise to their IT Systems and Data; (ii) the Company is 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, in the case of this clause (ii), individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) the Company has implemented backup and disaster recovery technology consistent with industry standards and practices.
(vv)XBRL. The interactive data in the eXtensible Business Reporting Language (“XBRL”) included as an exhibit to the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s Rules and Regulations applicable thereto.
(ww)Lending Relationship. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company (i) does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of the Representatives and (ii) does not intend to use any of the net proceeds from the offering and sale of the Shares hereunder to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of the Representatives.
(xx)Immunity. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor any of its or their properties or assets has any immunity from the jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service or notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution or otherwise) under the laws of the State of New York.
4.Agreements of the Company. The Company agrees with each Underwriter as follows:
(a)Amendments and Supplements to Registration Statement. The Company shall not, either prior to any effective date or thereafter during such period as the Prospectus is required by law to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 of the Rules and Regulations or any similar rule) (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”) in connection with sales of the Shares by an Underwriter or dealer, amend or supplement the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications, unless a copy of such amendment or supplement thereof shall first have been submitted to the
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Representatives within a reasonable period of time prior to the filing or, if no filing is required, the use thereof and the Representatives shall not have objected thereto in good faith.
(b)Amendments and Supplements to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus and other Securities Act matters. If, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, any event or development shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing or under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend or supplement the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing or under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Representatives it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, or to file a new registration statement containing the Prospectus, in order to comply with the Securities Act, the Rules and Regulations, or the Exchange Act, including in connection with the delivery of the Prospectus, the Company agrees to (i) promptly notify the Representatives of any such event or condition and (ii) promptly prepare (subject to Sections (a) and (d) hereof), file with the Commission (and use its best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement or any new registration statement to be declared effective) and furnish at its own expense to the Underwriters (and, if applicable, to dealers), amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, or any new registration statement, necessary in order to make the statements in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or the applicable Written Testing-the-Waters Communication as so amended or supplemented, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing or under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading or so that the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or the applicable Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, as amended or supplemented, will comply with the Securities Act, the Rules and Regulations, the Exchange Act or any other applicable law.
(c)Notifications to the Representatives. The Company shall use its best efforts to cause the Registration Statement to become effective, and shall notify the Representatives promptly, and shall confirm such advice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement has become effective and when any post-effective amendment thereto becomes effective, (ii) of any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information, (iii) of the commencement by the Commission or by any state securities commission of any proceedings for the suspension of the qualification of any of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose, including, without limitation, the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose or the threat thereof, (iv) of the happening of any event during the Prospectus Delivery Period that in the judgment of the Company makes any statement made in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication misleading (including by omission) or untrue or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which they are made, not misleading, (v) of receipt by the Company or any representative of the Company of any other communication from the Commission relating to the Company, the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication and (vi) of any distribution of Written Testing-the-Waters Communication by or on behalf of the Company (other than through any Underwriter). If at any time the Commission shall issue any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Company shall use best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order at the earliest possible moment. The Company shall comply with the provisions of and make all requisite filings with the Commission pursuant to Rules 424(b), 430A, 430B, 430C and 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations and notify the Representatives promptly of all such filings.
(d)Prospectus. The Company shall prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives and shall file such Prospectus with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations with a filing date not later than the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement. Promptly after the effective date of the Registration Statement, and thereafter from time to time, the Company shall deliver to each of the Underwriters, without charge, as many copies of the Prospectus and any
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amendment or supplement thereto as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company consents to the use of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto by the Underwriters and by all dealers to whom the Shares may be sold, both in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares and for any period of time thereafter during the Prospectus Delivery Period. If, during the Prospectus Delivery Period any event shall occur that in the judgment of the Company or counsel to the Underwriters should be set forth in the Prospectus in order to make any statement therein, in the light of the circumstances under which it was made, not misleading (including by omission), or if it is necessary to supplement or amend the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company shall forthwith prepare and duly file with the Commission an appropriate supplement or amendment thereto, and shall deliver to each of the Underwriters, without charge, such number of copies thereof as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(e)Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents and agrees that it has not made and, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representatives, will not make, any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations, required to be filed with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 of the Rules and Regulations; provided that the prior written consent of the Representatives hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses included in Schedule III hereto. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representatives is herein 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) has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Securities Act applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and recordkeeping. If at any time following the issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement relating to the Shares or would include an untrue statement of material fact or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement, or omission. The Company represents that it has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.
(f)Compliance with Blue Sky Laws. Prior to any public offering of the Shares by the Underwriters, the Company shall cooperate with the Representatives and counsel to the Underwriters in connection with the registration or qualification (or the obtaining of exemptions from the application thereof) of the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may request, including, without limitation, the provinces and territories of Canada and other jurisdictions outside the United States; provided, however, 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 which would subject it to general service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.
(g)Delivery of Financial Statements. During the period of five years commencing on the effective date of the Registration Statement applicable to the Underwriters, the Company shall furnish to the Representatives and each other Underwriter who may so request copies of such financial statements and other periodic and special reports as the Company may from time to time distribute generally to the holders of any class of its capital stock, and will furnish to the Representatives and each other Underwriter who may so request a copy of each annual or other report it shall be required to file with the Commission; provided, however, that electronically transmitted copies filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR or any successor thereto shall satisfy the Company’s obligation to furnish copies hereunder.
(h)Availability of Earnings Statements. The Company shall make generally available to holders of its securities as soon as may be practicable but in no event later than the last day of the fifteenth full calendar month following the calendar quarter in which the most recent effective date occurs in accordance with Rule 158 of the Rules and Regulations, an earnings statement (which need not be audited but shall be in reasonable detail) for a period of 12 months ended commencing after the effective date of the Registration Statement, and satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act (including Rule 158 of the Rules and Regulations); provided however the Company will be deemed to have satisfied such requirement to the extent such information is filed with the Commission and made generally available pursuant to EDGAR or any successor thereto.
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(i)Payment of Expenses. Whether or not any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company will pay or cause to be paid, or reimburse if paid by the Representatives, all costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement, including but not limited to: (i) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Shares and any stamp duty, stamp duty reserve tax, and any other issue, transfer, registration, documentary, value added tax or sales tax or duty in any jurisdiction (“Stamp Tax”) payable in connection therewith, (ii) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement and exhibits to it, each Preliminary Prospectus, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus, each Written Testing-the-Waters Communications, if any, and any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, and the distribution thereof, (iii) the costs of producing and delivering this Agreement, the Agreement among Underwriters and any other related documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares, (iv) the costs of furnishing (including costs of shipping, mailing and courier) such copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, and all amendments and supplements thereto, as may be requested for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares by the Underwriters or by dealers to whom Shares may be sold, (v) the costs, fees and expenses of listing the Shares on the Nasdaq Global Market, (vi) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with the review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Shares (with such fees and disbursements of counsel to not exceed $15,000), (vii) the fees and expenses incident to the registration or qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions designated pursuant to Section (f) hereof and the securities laws of Canada, including the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Underwriters in connection therewith (with such fees and disbursements of counsel to not exceed $10,000), and, if requested by the Representatives, the preparation and printing of preliminary, supplemental and final Blue Sky memoranda and a “Canadian wrapper,” (viii) the fees and expenses of counsel to the Company, (ix) the costs and charges of DTC and the registrar and transfer agent for the Shares, (x) the fees and expenses of the Accountant, (xi) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” or any Testing-the-Waters Communication, undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Shares, including, without limitation, all reasonable costs and expenses associated with any electronic road show, travel and lodging expenses of the officers, employees, agents and other representatives of the Company and consultants engaged in connection with investor presentations, and the cost of any aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the road show, if such expense associated with any aircraft is approved by the Company in writing prior to the beginning of such road show (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed) (xii) all fees, costs and expenses for consultants used by the Company in connection with the offering and (xiii) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section (i).
(j)Reimbursement of Expenses upon Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Company pursuant to any of the provisions hereof or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations or to fulfill any conditions hereunder or if the Underwriters shall terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 8 hereof or this Agreement is terminated pursuant to the second sentence of Section 9 hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Underwriters) reasonably incurred by them in connection herewith; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to reimburse the expenses of any defaulting Underwriter under Section 9 hereof.
(k)No Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company shall not at any time, directly or indirectly, take any action intended to cause or result in, or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, or which will constitute, stabilization or manipulation, under the Securities Act or otherwise, of the price of the shares of Class A Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Shares.
(l)Use of Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the offering and sale of the Shares to be sold by the Company in the manner set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds” and shall file such reports with the Commission with respect to the sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds therefrom as may be required in accordance with Rule 463 under the Securities Act.
(m)Lock-Up Agreements of Company, Management, Affiliates and Equityholders. The Company shall not, for a period of 90 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-Up Period”), without the prior written consent of the Representatives (which consent may be withheld in their sole discretion), (1) offer, sell, pledge, contract
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to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of (or enter into any transaction which is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition), directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act to register, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or warrants or other rights to acquire shares of Common Stock or (2) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of such shares of Common Stock, securities, warrants or other rights to acquire Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, or publicly disclose the intention to enter into any transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Shares to be sold hereunder, (B) any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof and referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and (C) any shares of Common Stock issued or options to purchase Common Stock granted pursuant to existing employee benefit plans of the Company referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company has caused each of its officers, directors and beneficial owners of its capital stock (including stockholders, option holders and other equityholders) to enter into agreements with the Representatives in the form set forth in Exhibit A.
(n)Option Grants During Lock-Up Period. With respect to any option to purchase Common Stock, securities, warrants or other rights to acquire Common Stock or any other class of share capital of the Company granted prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, the award agreement related to such option shall provide that such option may not be exercisable during the Lock-Up Period.
(o)Lock-Up Releases. If the Representatives, in their sole discretion, agree to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a lock-up letter described in Section (m) hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of such release or waiver.
(p)Emerging Growth Company Status. The Company shall promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) the time when a prospectus relating to the offering or sale of the Shares is not required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 of the Rules and Regulations or any similar rule) and (ii) completion of the Lock-Up Period.
5.Certain Agreements of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, hereby agrees that it will not take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission under Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a “free writing prospectus”, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, prepared by or on behalf of or used by such Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Company thereunder, but for the action of the Underwriter.
6.Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase the Firm Shares on the Closing Date or any Option Shares on the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, as provided herein is subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company, the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a)Post Effective Amendments and Prospectus Filings. Notification that the Registration Statement has become effective shall be received by the Representatives not later than 6:00 p.m., New York City time, on the date of this Agreement or at such later date and time as shall be consented to in writing by the Representatives and all filings made pursuant to Rules 424, 430A, 430B or 430C of the Rules and Regulations, as applicable, shall have been made or will be made prior to the Closing Date in accordance with all such applicable rules.
(b)No Stop Orders, Requests for Information and No Amendments. (i) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall be pending or are, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission, (ii) no order suspending the
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qualification or registration of the Shares under the securities or Blue Sky laws of any jurisdiction shall be in effect and no proceeding for such purpose shall be pending before or threatened or contemplated by the authorities of any such jurisdiction, (iii) any request for additional information on the part of the staff of the Commission or any such authorities shall have been complied with to the satisfaction of the staff of the Commission or such authorities and (iv) after the date hereof no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall have been filed unless a copy thereof was first submitted to the Representatives and the Representatives did not object thereto in good faith, and the Representatives shall have received certificates, dated the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date and signed by the Chief Executive Officer or the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company (who may, as to proceedings threatened, rely upon the best of their information and belief), to the effect of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii).
(c)No Material Adverse Changes. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (i) there shall not have been a Material Adverse Change, (ii) the Company shall not have incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, (iii) the Company shall not have entered into any material transactions not in the ordinary course of business other than pursuant to this Agreement and the transactions referred to herein, (iv) the Company shall not have issued any securities (other than the Shares) or declared or paid any dividend or made any distribution in respect of its capital stock of any class or debt (long-term or short-term), and (v) no material amount of the assets of the Company shall have been pledged, mortgaged or otherwise encumbered.
(d)No Legal Impediment to Issuance and Sale. No action, suit or proceeding shall have been taken, or to the knowledge of the Company been threatened against or affecting, the Company, or any of its directors or officers in their capacity as such, before or by any federal, state or local court, commission, regulatory body, administrative agency or other governmental body, domestic or foreign. No statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance, sale or delivery of the Shares; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance, sale or delivery of the Shares.
(e)All Representations True and Correct and All Conditions Fulfilled. Each of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct at the Closing Date as if made at the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, as the case may be, and all covenants and agreements contained herein to be performed by the Company and all conditions contained herein to be fulfilled or complied with by the Company at or prior to the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, shall have been duly performed, fulfilled or complied with.
(f)Opinions and Negative Assurance Letter of Counsel to the Company. The Representatives shall have received the opinions and negative assurance letter, each dated the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, as the case may be, reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to counsel for the Underwriters, from Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP, counsel to the Company, to the effect set forth in Exhibit C.
(g)Opinion and Negative Assurance Letter of Counsel to the Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received an opinion and negative assurance letter, dated the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, from Mayer Brown LLP, counsel to the Underwriters, with respect to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and this Agreement, which opinion shall be satisfactory in all respects to the Representatives.
(h)Accountant’s Comfort Letter. On the date of the Prospectus, the Representatives shall have received from the Accountant a letter dated the date of its delivery, addressed to the Representatives, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountant’s “comfort letters” to underwriters, delivered according to Statement of Auditing Standards No. 72 (or any successor bulletin), with respect to the audited and unaudited financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus. At the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the Representatives shall have received from the Accountant a letter dated such date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that they reaffirm
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the statements made in the letter furnished by them pursuant to the preceding sentence and have conducted additional procedures with respect to certain financial figures included in the Prospectus, except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, as the case may be.
(i)Company Officers’ Certificates. At the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, as the case may be, there shall be furnished to the Representatives an accurate certificate, dated the date of its delivery, signed by each of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that:
(i)each signer of such certificate has carefully examined the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus;
(ii)there has not been a Material Adverse Change;
(iii)each of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are, at the time such certificate is delivered, true and correct; and
(iv)each of the covenants required herein to be performed by the Company on or prior to the date of such certificate has been duly, timely and fully performed and each condition herein required to be complied with by the Company on or prior to the delivery of such certificate has been duly, timely and fully complied with.
(j)Lock-Up Agreements. At the date of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received the executed “lock-up” agreements referred to in Section 4(m) hereof from the persons and entities listed on Schedule II hereto.
(k)Compliance with Blue Sky Laws. The Shares shall be qualified for sale in such states and jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably request, including, without limitation, qualification for exemption from registration or prospectus delivery requirements in the provinces and territories of Canada and other jurisdictions outside the United States, and each such qualification shall be in effect and not subject to any stop order or other proceeding on the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date.
(l)Stock Exchange Listing. The Shares shall have been duly authorized for listing or quotation on the Nasdaq Global Market, subject only to notice of issuance.
(m)Good Standing. At the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company in its jurisdiction of organization and its good standing as a foreign entity in such other jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.
(n)Certificate of Chief Financial Officer. The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives certificates signed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated respectively as of the date of the Prospectus, the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, substantially in the form agreed with the Representatives.
(o)Company Certificates. The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such certificates, in addition to those specifically mentioned herein, as the Representatives may have reasonably requested as to the accuracy and completeness at the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date of any statement in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, as to the accuracy at the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company herein, as to the performance by the Company of its respective obligations hereunder, or as to the fulfillment of the conditions concurrent and precedent to the obligations hereunder of the Underwriters.
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(p)No Objection. FINRA has confirmed that it has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements relating to the offering of the Shares.
If any of the conditions hereinabove provided for in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement to be fulfilled, the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the Representatives by notifying the Company of such termination in writing at or prior to the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, as the case may be.
(a)Indemnification of the Underwriters by the Company. The Company shall, jointly and severally, indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, the directors, officers, employees, counsel and agents of each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls each Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any and all losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including any and all investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding between any of the indemnified parties and any indemnifying parties or between any indemnified party and any third party, or otherwise, or any claim asserted), to which they, or any of them, may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, liabilities, expenses or damages arise out of or are based on (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rules 430A, 430B or 430C, as applicable or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus, any preliminary prospectus supplement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (iii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares, including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage arises from the sale of the Shares in the public offering to any person by an Underwriter and is based on or arises out of an untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance on and in conformity with Underwriters’ Information. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability that the Company might otherwise have.
(b)Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter shall, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, each director of the Company and each officer of the Company who signs the Registration Statement to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to each Underwriter, but only insofar as losses, claims, liabilities, expenses or damages arise out of or are based on any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance on and in conformity with Underwriters’ Information. This indemnity will be in addition to any liability that each Underwriter might otherwise have.
(c)Indemnification Procedures. Any party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this Section 7 shall, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this Section 7, notify each such indemnifying party of the commencement of such action, enclosing a copy of all papers served, but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party shall not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability that it may have to any indemnified party under the foregoing provisions of this Section 7, or otherwise, unless, and only to the extent that, such omission results in the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses by the indemnifying party. If any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of its commencement, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in and, to the extent that it elects by delivering written notice to the indemnified
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party promptly after receiving notice of the commencement of the action from the indemnified party, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense of the action, with counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense, the indemnifying party will not be liable to the indemnified party for any legal or other expenses except as provided below and except for the reasonable costs of investigation subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense. The indemnified party will have the right to employ its own separate counsel in any such action, but the fees, expenses and other charges of such separate counsel will be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the employment of such counsel by the indemnified party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party, (ii) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based on advice of counsel) that there may be legal defenses available to it or other indemnified parties that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded that a conflict or potential conflict exists (based on advice of counsel to the indemnified party) between the indemnified party and the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying party shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party) or (iv) the indemnifying party has not in fact employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after receiving notice of the commencement of the action, in each of which cases the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of the indemnified party’s separate counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party or parties. It is understood that the indemnifying party or parties shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of more than one separate firm (in addition to local counsel) in such jurisdiction at any one time for all such indemnified party or parties. All such fees, disbursements and other charges shall be reimbursed by the indemnifying party promptly as they are incurred. An indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any action or claim effected without its written consent (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed). No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of each indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding relating to the matters contemplated by this Section 7 (whether or not any indemnified party is a party thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising or that may arise out of such claim, action or proceeding and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section (a) hereof effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.
(d)Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in the foregoing paragraphs of this Section 7 is applicable in accordance with its terms but for any reason is held to be unavailable from the Company or the Underwriters, the Company and the Underwriters shall contribute to the total losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including any investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted, but after deducting any contribution received by the Company from persons other than the Underwriters, such as persons who control the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act, officers of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and directors of the Company, who also may be liable for contribution) to which the Company and the Underwriters may be subject in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. If, but only if, the allocation provided by the foregoing sentence is not permitted by applicable law, the allocation of contribution shall be made in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in the foregoing sentence but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, with respect to the statements or omissions which resulted in such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations with respect to such offering. Such relative fault shall be determined by reference to whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to
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information supplied by the Company or the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section (d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) which does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section (d) shall be deemed to include, for purpose of this Section (d), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions received by it, and no person found guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligation to contribute as provided in this Section (d) are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint. For purposes of this Section (d), any person who controls a party to this Agreement within the meaning of the Securities Act will have the same rights to contribution as that party, and each director of the Company and each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement will have the same rights to contribution as the Company, and each affiliate, director, officer, employee, counsel or agent of any Underwriter will have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, subject in each case to the provisions hereof. Any party entitled to contribution, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made under this Section (d), will notify any such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission so to notify will not relieve the party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have under this Section (d). No party will be liable for contribution with respect to any action or claim settled without its written consent (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld).
(e)Survival. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 7 and the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriters, (ii) acceptance of any of the Shares and payment therefor or (iii) any termination of this Agreement.
8.Termination. The obligations of the several Underwriters under this Agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the Closing Date (or, with respect to the Option Shares, on or prior to any Option Closing Date), by notice to the Company and from the Representatives, without liability on the part of any Underwriter to the Company, if, prior to delivery and payment for the Firm Shares (or the Option Shares, as the case may be), in the sole judgment of the Representatives, any of the following shall occur:
(a)trading or quotation in any of the equity securities of the Company shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by an exchange or otherwise;
(b)trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market or the Nasdaq Global Select Market shall have been suspended or limited or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on such exchange, or additional material governmental restrictions, not in force on the date of this Agreement, shall have been imposed upon trading in securities generally by such exchange or by order of the Commission or any court or other governmental authority;
(c)a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of Japanese, U.S. federal, New York or Delaware authorities;
(d)the United States or Japan shall have become engaged in new hostilities, there shall have been an escalation in hostilities involving the United States or Japan or there shall have been a declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States or Japan or there shall have occurred such a material adverse change in general economic, political or financial conditions, including, without limitation, as a result of terrorist activities after the date hereof (or the effect of international conditions on the financial markets in the United States or Japan shall be such), or any other calamity or crisis shall have occurred, the effect of any of which is such as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the Prospectus;
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(e)the Company shall have sustained a loss material or substantial to the Company by reason of flood, fire, accident, hurricane, earthquake, theft, sabotage, or other calamity or malicious act, whether or not such loss shall have been insured, the effect of any of which is such as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the Prospectus; or
(f)there shall have been a Material Adverse Change.
9.Substitution of Underwriters. If any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase any of the Firm Shares which it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder, and the aggregate number of Firm Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Firm Shares, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, to purchase the Firm Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase, in the proportions which the number of Firm Shares which they have respectively agreed to purchase pursuant to Section 1 hereof bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares which all such non-defaulting Underwriters have so agreed to purchase, or in such other proportions as the Representatives may specify; provided that in no event shall the maximum number of Firm Shares which any Underwriter has become obligated to purchase pursuant to Section 1 hereof be increased pursuant to this Section 9 by more than one-ninth of the number of Firm Shares agreed to be purchased by such Underwriter without the prior written consent of such Underwriter. If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase any Firm Shares and the aggregate number of Firm Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase exceeds one-tenth of the aggregate number of the Firm Shares and arrangements satisfactory to the Company and the Representatives for the purchase of such Firm Shares are not made within 48 hours after such default, this Agreement will terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company (except as provided in Section 4(j) hereof) for the purchase or sale of any Shares under this Agreement. In any such case either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Any action taken pursuant to this Section 9 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
(a)Notices. Notice given pursuant to any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and, unless otherwise specified, shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied (a) if to the Company, at the office of the Company, 17461 Derian Ave., Suite 200, Irvine, California 92614, Attention: Jeffrey Uttz; with a copy to Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP, 555 South Flower Street, 31st Floor, Los Angeles, California 90071, Attention: Hiroki Suyama (Fax: (213) 623-4581); or (b) if to the Underwriters, c/o Citigroup Global Markets Inc., 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013, Attention: General Counsel, facsimile number: +1 (646) 291-1469, William Blair & Company, L.L.C., 150 North Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60606, Attention: General Counsel (Fax: (312) 551-4646); and Barclays Capital Inc., 745 7th Avenue, New York, New York 10019, Attention: Syndicate Registration (Fax: (646) 834-8133); with a copy to Mayer Brown LLP, 3000 El Camino Real, Suite 300, Palo Alto, California 94306, Attention: Jennifer Carlson. Any such notice shall be effective only upon receipt. Any notice under Section 6 hereof may be made by telecopy or telephone, but if so made shall be subsequently confirmed in writing.
(b)No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement has been and is made solely for the benefit of the several Underwriters, the Company and the controlling persons, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, counsel and agents referred to in Section 7 hereof, and their respective successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. The term “successors and assigns” as used in this Agreement shall not include a purchaser of Shares from the Underwriters in his, her or its capacity as such a purchaser.
(c)Survival of Representations and Warranties. All representations, warranties and agreements of the Company contained herein or in certificates or other instruments delivered pursuant hereto shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any of their controlling persons and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares hereunder.
(d)Disclaimer of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price
- 22 -
of the Shares and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, (ii) in connection with the offering contemplated by this Agreement and the process leading to such transaction, each of the Underwriters is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company or their respective securityholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (iii) none of the Underwriters has assumed nor will it assume any advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering of the Shares contemplated by this Agreement or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether any Underwriter or its affiliates has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and the Underwriters have no obligation to the Company with respect to the offering of the Shares contemplated by this Agreement except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (iv) each of the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (v) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated by this Agreement and the Company has consulted their own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent they deemed appropriate.
(e)Actions of the Representatives. Any action by the Underwriters hereunder may be taken by the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, and any such action taken by the Representatives shall be binding upon the Underwriters.
(f)Governing Law. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK APPLICABLE TO AGREEMENTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED ENTIRELY WITHIN SUCH STATE. Each party hereto hereby irrevocably submits for purposes of any action arising from this Agreement brought by the other party hereto to the jurisdiction of the courts of New York State located in the Borough of Manhattan and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Service of process upon the Company and written notice of such service to the Company shall be deemed, in every respect, effective service of process upon the Company.
(g)Judgment Currency. If for the purposes of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert a sum due hereunder into any currency other than United States dollars, the parties hereto agree, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Underwriters could purchase United States dollars with such other currency in The City of New York on the business day preceding that on which final judgment is given. The obligation of the Company with respect to any sum due from it to any Underwriter or any person controlling any Underwriter shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency other than United States dollars, not be discharged until the first business day following receipt by such Underwriter or controlling person of any sum in such other currency, and only to the extent that such Underwriter or controlling person may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase United States dollars with such other currency. If the United States dollars so purchased are less than the sum originally due to such Underwriter or controlling person hereunder, the Company agrees as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify such Underwriter or controlling person against such loss. If the United States dollars so purchased are greater than the sum originally due to such Underwriter or controlling person hereunder, such Underwriter or controlling person agrees to pay to the Company, as applicable, an amount equal to the excess of the dollars so purchased over the sum originally due to such Underwriter or controlling person hereunder.
(h)Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.
(i)Survival of Provisions Upon Invalidity of Any Single Provision. In case any provision in this Agreement shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
(j)Waiver of Jury Trial. The Company and the Underwriters each hereby irrevocably waive any right they may have to a trial by jury in respect of any claim based upon or arising out of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
(k)Titles and Subtitles. The titles of the sections and subsections of this Agreement are for convenience and reference only and are not to be considered in construing this Agreement.
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(l)Entire Agreement. This Agreement embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may not be amended or otherwise modified or any provision hereof waived except by an instrument in writing signed by the Representatives and the Company.
11.Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.
(a)In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
(b)In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
For purposes of this Section 11:
“BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k).
“Covered Entity” means any of the following:
(i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);
(ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or
(iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).
“Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.
“U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
[Signature page follows]
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Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth the agreement between the Company and the several Underwriters.
Very truly yours,
KURA SUSHI USA, INC.
By: /s/ Jeffrey Uttz
Name: Jeffrey Uttz
Title: Chief Financial Officer
[Signature page to Underwriting Agreement]
Confirmed as of the date first above mentioned:
Acting on behalf of themselves and as Representatives of the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereof
CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.
By: /s/ Matthew Daniel
Name: Matthew Daniel
Title: Director
William Blair & Company, L.L.C.
By: /s/ Zach Dombrowski
Name: Zach Dombrowski
Title: Head of C&R ECM
BARCLAYS CAPITAL INC.
By: /s/ Michaela Diverio
Name: Michaela Diverio
Title: Managing Director, Barclays
[Signature page to Underwriting Agreement]
Schedule I
UNDERWRITERS
|
|
Underwriter |
Number of Firm Shares |
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. |
391,795 |
William Blair & Company, L.L.C. |
307,838 |
Barclays Capital Inc. |
251,867 |
Stephens Inc. |
74,250 |
Craig-Hallum Capital Group LLC |
37,125 |
Roth Capital Partners, LLC |
37,125 |
Total |
1,100,000 |
S-I-1
Schedule II
LIST OF PERSONS AND ENTITIES SUBJECT TO LOCK-UP
Hajime Uba
Jeffrey Uttz
Brent Takao
Shintaro Asako
Kim Ellis
Seitaro Ishii
Carin L. Stutz
Shahin Allameh
S-II-1
Schedule III
ISSUER FREE WRITING PROSPECTUSES INCLUDED IN THE GENERAL DISCLOSURE PACKAGE
None.
S-III-1
Schedule IV
TESTING-THE-WATERS COMMUNICATIONS INCLUDED IN THE GENERAL DISCLOSURE PACKAGE
None.
S-IV-1
Schedule V
INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THE GENERAL DISCLOSURE PACKAGE
1. The public offering price per share of Class A Common Stock shall be $54.00.
S-V-1
EXHIBIT A
[DATE]
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
William Blair & Company, L.L.C.
Barclays Capital Inc.
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
c/o Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
388 Greenwich Street
New York, New York 10013
William Blair & Company, L.L.C.
150 North Riverside Plaza
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Barclays Capital Inc.
745 Seventh Avenue
New York, New York 10019
Ladies and Gentlemen:
In consideration of the agreement of the several underwriters (the “Underwriters”), for which Citigroup Global Markets Inc., William Blair & Company, L.L.C. and Barclays Capital Inc. intend to act as Representatives, to underwrite a proposed public offering (the “Offering”) of shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Class A Common Stock”), of Kura Sushi USA, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), the undersigned hereby irrevocably agrees that the undersigned shall not, for a period (the “Lock-Up Period”) beginning on the date of this Lock-Up Agreement and ending 90 days after the date of the final prospectus for the Offering, without the prior written consent of the Representatives (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), (1) offer, sell, pledge, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of (or enter into any transaction which is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition), or require the Company to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), to register, any shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company (together with the Class A Common Stock, the “Common Stock”) or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or warrants or other rights to acquire shares of Common Stock of which the undersigned is now, or may in the future become, the beneficial owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) (such shares, securities, warrants or rights collectively, the “Restricted Securities”), (2) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of such Restricted Securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, or (3) publicly disclose the intention to enter into any transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of Restricted Securities owned either of record or beneficially by the undersigned except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions. Any securities of the Company acquired by the undersigned in the Offering will also be Restricted Securities subject to this Lock-Up Agreement.
If the undersigned is or, prior to the end of the Lock-Up Period, becomes an officer or director of the Company, the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing restrictions shall be equally applicable to any issuer-directed shares of Common Stock the undersigned may purchase in the Offering.
The foregoing restrictions shall not apply to: (i) transfers of Restricted Securities as a bona fide gift or gifts by the undersigned; (ii) transfers or dispositions of Restricted Securities to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit
A-1
of the undersigned or any member of the immediate family of the undersigned; (iii) transfers or dispositions of Restricted Securities to any of the undersigned’s affiliates (within the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act), limited partners, general partners, limited liability company members or stockholders; (iv) transfers of Restricted Securities by will, other testamentary document or intestate succession to the legal representative, heir, beneficiary or a member of the immediate family of the undersigned; (v) transfers or dispositions of shares of Common Stock acquired by the undersigned in open market purchases after the completion of the Offering; (vi) transfers to the Company in connection with the “net” or “cashless” exercise of options or other rights to purchase Common Stock granted pursuant to an equity incentive plan, stock purchase plan or other arrangement described in the final prospectus in satisfaction of any tax withholding obligations through cashless surrender or otherwise, other than a “broker-assisted” exercise, provided, that any shares of Common Stock issued upon exercise of such option or other rights shall remain subject to the terms of this Lock-Up Agreement or (vii) entry by the undersigned into any trading plan established pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act; provided, however, that (a) in the case of (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) above, it shall be a condition to the transfer or disposition that the donee, trustee, heir, distributee or other transferee, as the case may be, agrees to be bound in writing to the restrictions set forth herein during the Lock-Up Period; (b) any transfer or disposition pursuant to (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) above shall not involve a disposition for value; (c) in the case of a transfer or distribution pursuant to (i), (ii), (iii) or (v) above, no filing by the undersigned or any other party under the Exchange Act or other public announcement shall be required or made voluntarily during the Lock-Up Period in connection with such transfer or distribution (other than a filing on a Form 5 made after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period); and (d) in the case of (vii) above, such trading plan does not provide for any sales or other dispositions of Restricted Securities during the Lock-Up Period and no public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act or otherwise is made by or on behalf of the undersigned or the Company regarding the establishment of, or sales under, such plan during the Lock-Up Period. For the purposes of this Lock-Up Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage, domestic partnership or adoption, not more remote than first cousin.
If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (i) the Representatives agree that, at least three business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of Restricted Securities, the Representatives will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver, and (ii) the Company will agree in the underwriting agreement relating to the Offering (the “Underwriting Agreement”) to announce the impending release or waiver by press release through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver. Any release or waiver granted by the Representatives hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release. The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if (a) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration and (b) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this Lock-Up Agreement to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.
This Lock-Up Agreement shall automatically terminate and become null and void (i) at such time as the Representatives, on the one hand, or the Company, on the other hand, advises the other in writing, prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement, that it has determined not to proceed with the Offering, (ii) upon the termination of the Underwriting Agreement before the closing of the Offering, or (iii) on October 31, 2023, if the Offering shall not have closed by such date; provided, however, that the Representatives or the Company may, by written notice to you prior to such date, extend such date for a period of up to three additional months.
The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Lock-Up Agreement. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs or personal representatives of the undersigned. The undersigned understands that the Underwriters are entering into the Underwriting Agreement and proceeding with the Offering in reliance upon this Lock-Up Agreement.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]
A-2
This Lock-Up Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Lock-Up Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed entirely within such state.
Very truly yours,
________________________________________
Name of Officer, Director or Security Holder
(Print exact name)
By:______________________________________
Signature
If not signing in an individual capacity:
________________________________________
Name of Authorized Signatory (Print)
________________________________________
Title of Authorized Signatory (Print)
(indicate capacity of person signing if signing as custodian, trustee, or on behalf of an entity)
A-3
EXHIBIT B
Form of Press Release
Kura Sushi USA, Inc.
[Date]
Kura Sushi USA, Inc. (the “Company”) announced today that Citigroup Global Markets Inc., William Blair & Company, L.L.C. and Barclays Capital Inc., the joint book-running managers in the Company’s recent public sale of shares of Class A common stock, are [waiving][releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to [●] shares of the Company’s common stock held by [certain officers or directors][an officer or director] of the Company. The [waiver][release] will take effect on [●], and the shares may be sold on or after such date.
This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction where such offer is prohibited, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
B-1
EXHIBIT C
Form of Opinion of
Counsel to the Company
[Provided separately]
D-1
EX-5
Exhibit 5.1
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Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP 555 South Flower Street, 31st Floor Los Angeles, CA 90071 O +1 213 624 2500 F +1 213 623 4581 squirepattonboggs.com |
April 13, 2023
Kura Sushi USA, Inc.
17461 Derian Avenue, Suite 200
Irvine, California 92614
Re: Public Offering of Shares of Common Stock
Ladies and Gentlemen
We have acted as counsel to Kura Sushi USA, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the sale by the Company of an aggregate of 1,265,000 shares, including 165,000 shares issued upon exercise of an option granted to the underwriters by the Company to purchase additional shares (the “Shares”) of the Company's Class A common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, dated April 10, 2023 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), by and among the Company, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., William Blair & Company, L.L.C. and Barclays Capital Inc., as Representatives of the several underwriters named in Schedule I thereto. The Shares were registered pursuant to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-269040) (the “Registration Statement”), filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and are being offered pursuant to the base prospectus included in the Registration Statement, as supplemented by a prospectus supplement relating to the Shares dated April 10, 2023 (together with the accompanying base prospectus and any amendments thereto, the “Prospectus”).
As such counsel and for purposes of our opinion set forth below, we have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such documents, resolutions, certificates and instruments of the Company and corporate records furnished to us by the Company, certificates of public officials, statutes, records and such other instruments and documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinion set forth below. In addition to the foregoing, we have made such investigations of law as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinion set forth herein.
In such examination and in rendering the opinion expressed below, we have assumed, without independent investigation or verification: (i) the genuineness of all signatures on all agreements, instruments, corporate records, certificates and other documents submitted to us; (ii) the legal capacity and authority of all persons or entities (other than the Company) executing all agreements, instruments, corporate records, certificates and other documents submitted to us; (iii) the authenticity and completeness of all agreements, instruments, corporate records, certificates and other documents submitted to us as originals; (iv) that all agreements, instruments, corporate records, certificates and other documents submitted to us as certified, electronic, facsimile, conformed, photostatic or other copies conform to authentic originals thereof, and that such originals are authentic and complete; (v) the due authorization, execution and delivery of all agreements, instruments, certificates and other documents by all parties thereto (other than the Company); (vi) that the statements contained in the certificates and comparable documents of public officials, officers and representatives of the Company and other persons on which we have relied for the purposes of this opinion set forth below are true and correct; and (vii) that the officers and directors of the Company have properly exercised their fiduciary duties. As to all questions of fact material to the opinion and as to the materiality of any fact or other matter referred to herein, we have relied (without independent investigation) upon representations and certificates or comparable documents of officers and representatives of the Company. Our knowledge of the Company and its legal and other affairs is limited by the scope of our engagement, which scope includes the delivery of this opinion letter. We do not represent the Company with respect
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Kura Sushi USA, Inc. |
Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP |
April 13, 2023
Page 2
to all legal matters or issues. The Company may employ other independent counsel and, to our knowledge, handles certain legal matters and issues with the assistance of independent counsel.
We also have assumed that the Shares will be sold as described in the Prospectus and the Underwriting Agreement.
Based upon the foregoing, and in reliance thereon, and subject to the limitations, qualifications and exceptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized by the Company, and are validly issued, fully paid and nonassesable.
Without limiting any of the other limitations, exceptions and qualifications stated elsewhere herein, we express no opinion with regard to the applicability or effect of the law of any jurisdiction other than, as in effect as of the date of this letter, the Delaware General Corporation Law, the applicable provisions of the Delaware Constitution and reported judicial decisions interpreting these laws.
This opinion letter deals only with the specified legal issues expressly addressed herein, and you should not infer any opinion that is not explicitly stated herein from any matter addressed in this opinion letter.
This opinion letter speaks as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to advise you or any other person with regard to any change after the date hereof in the circumstances or the law that may bear on the matters set forth herein, even though the change may affect the legal analysis, a legal conclusion or other matters in this opinion letter.
We consent to the filing of this opinion letter as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 13, 2023, and to the use of our name in the Prospectus under the caption “Legal Matters.” In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
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Very truly yours, /s/ Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP |
EX-99
Exhibit 99.1
For Immediate Release
Kura Sushi USA Announces Closing of
$68.3 Million Public Offering of Common Stock
Irvine, CA. April 13, 2023 – Kura Sushi USA, Inc. (“Kura Sushi” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: KRUS), a technology-enabled Japanese restaurant concept, today announced the closing of its underwritten public offering of 1,265,000 shares of its Class A common stock at a public offering price of $54.00 per share, including the exercise in full by the underwriters of their option to purchase an additional 165,000 shares of Class A common stock. The Company received proceeds from the offering, net of the underwriters’ discount, of approximately $64.9 million.
Kura Sushi intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, including capital expenditures, working capital, and other business purposes.
Citigroup, William Blair & Company, L.L.C. and Barclays Capital Inc. acted as lead book-running managers for the offering. Stephens Inc. acted as book-running manager for the offering. Craig-Hallum Capital Group LLC and Roth Capital Partners acted as co-managers for this offering.
The offering was made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement including a base prospectus that has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and declared effective and is available on the SEC website. A prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus related to the offering have been filed with the SEC and are available on the SEC website. Copies of these documents may be obtained from Citigroup, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717 by telephone at 1-800-831-9146; William Blair & Company, L.L.C., Attn: Prospectus Department, 150 North Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60606, by telephone at 1-800-621-0687 or by email at: prospectus@williamblair.com; Barclays Capital Inc. c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, New York 11717, by telephone at 1-888-603-5847 or by email at: barclaysprospectus@broadridge.com; or Stephens Inc., Attention: Prospectus Department, 111 Center Street, Little Rock, AR 72201, by telephone at 1-800-643-9691 or by email at: prospectus@stephens.com.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities 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.
About Kura Sushi USA, Inc.
Kura Sushi USA, Inc. is a technology-enabled Japanese restaurant concept with 45 locations across 14 states and Washington, D.C. The Company offers guests a distinctive dining experience built on authentic Japanese cuisine and an engaging revolving sushi service model. Kura Sushi USA, Inc. was established in 2008 as a subsidiary of Kura Sushi, Inc., a Japan-based revolving sushi chain with over 500 restaurants and 40 years of brand history. For more information, please visit www.kurasushi.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Except for historical information contained herein, the statements in this press release or otherwise made by our management in connection with the subject matter of this press release are forward-looking statements (as such term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) and involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various important factors. This press release includes forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current estimates or expectations of future events or future results. These statements are not historical in nature and can generally be identified by such words as “target,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “objective,” “intend,” “should,” “could,” “can,” “would,” “expect,” “believe,” “design,” “estimate,” “continue,” “predict,” “potential,” “plan,” “anticipate” or the negative of these terms, and similar expressions. Management’s expectations and assumptions regarding future results are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking
statements included in this press release. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: risks related to the COVID-19 outbreak; our ability to successfully resume and maintain increases in our comparable restaurant sales; our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy and open new restaurants that are profitable; our ability to expand in existing and new markets; our projected growth in the number of our restaurants; macroeconomic conditions and other economic factors, including rising interest rates, the possibility of a recession and instability in financial markets; our ability to compete with many other restaurants; our reliance on vendors, suppliers and distributors, including our parent company Kura Sushi, Inc.; concerns regarding food safety and foodborne illness; changes in consumer preferences and the level of acceptance of our restaurant concept in new markets; minimum wage increases and mandated employee benefits that could cause a significant increase in our labor costs; the failure of our automated equipment or information technology systems or the breach of our network security; the loss of key members of our management team; the impact of governmental laws and regulations; volatility in the price of our common stock; and other risks and uncertainties as described in our filings with the SEC. These and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release can be found in the Company’s other filings with the SEC. Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements, which are only current as of the date they are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, except as may be required by applicable law.
### #### ###
Investor Relations Contact:
Jeff Priester
(657) 333-4010
investor@kurausa.com
