UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of February 2018
Commission File Number: 001-37773
Merus N.V.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Yalelaan 62
3584 CM Utrecht
The Netherlands
+31 30 253 8800
(Address of principal executive office)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F ☒ Form 40-F ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ☐
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS REPORT ON FORM 6-K
Private Placement of Common Shares
On February 13, 2018, Merus N.V. (the Company) entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the Purchase Agreement) with the purchasers named therein (the Investors). Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the Company agreed to sell an aggregate of 3,099,997 of its common shares (the Shares), nominal value 0.09 per share (the Common Shares), to the Investors for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $55.8 million, at a purchase price equal to $18.00 per share (the Private Placement). The Purchase Agreement contained customary representations and warranties from the Company and the Investors and customary closing conditions. The closing of the Private Placement occurred on February 15, 2018 (the Closing Date).
On February 13, 2018, in connection with the Purchase Agreement, the Company entered into a Registration Rights Agreement (the Registration Rights Agreement) with the Investors. Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company agreed to prepare and file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) no later than May 15, 2018 for purposes of registering the resale of the Shares. The Company agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to cause this registration statement to be declared effective by the SEC prior to the 120th day after the Closing Date (or the 150th day if the SEC reviews the registration statement).
The Company has also agreed, among other things, to indemnify the Investors, their officers, directors, members, employees and agents, successors and assigns, and each person who controls such Investors from certain liabilities and to pay all fees and expenses (excluding legal fees of the Investors, except legal fees pursuant to the Investors indemnification rights, and any underwriting discounts and selling commissions) incurred by the Company in connection with the registration of the Shares.
The Private Placement is exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Regulation D promulgated thereunder, as a transaction by an issuer not involving a public offering. The Investors have acquired the securities for investment only and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution thereof, and appropriate legends have been affixed to the Shares.
The foregoing summaries do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the Purchase Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement, which are filed as Exhibits 99.2 and 99.3, respectively, to this Report on Form 6-K.
Press Release
On February 14, 2018, the Company issued a press release regarding the Private Placement. A copy of the press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1 to this Report on Form 6-K.
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, thereunto duly authorized.
Merus N.V. | ||||||
Date: February 15, 2018 | By: | /s/ Ton Logtenberg | ||||
Name: Ton Logtenberg | ||||||
Title: Chief Executive Officer |
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit Number |
Description | |
99.1 | Securities Purchase Agreement, dated February 13, 2018, by and among Merus N.V. and the Investors identified on Exhibit A attached thereto. | |
99.2 | Registration Rights Agreement, dated February 13, 2018, by and among Merus N.V. and the Investors identified on Exhibit A attached thereto. | |
99.3 | Press release issued by Merus N.V. on February 14, 2018. |
Exhibit 99.1
Execution Version
SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this Agreement) is made and entered into as of February 13, 2018 (the Effective Date) by and among Merus N.V., a public company with limited liability (naamloze vennootschap) incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands (the Company), and the Investors identified on Exhibit A attached hereto (each an Investor and collectively the Investors).
RECITALS
A. The Company and each Investor is executing and delivering this Agreement in reliance upon the exemption from securities registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), and/or Rule 506 of Regulation D (Regulation D) as promulgated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) under the 1933 Act; and
B. The Investors wish to purchase from the Company, and the Company wishes to sell and issue to the Investors, upon the terms and subject to the conditions stated in this Agreement, Common Shares (the Shares) of the Company, nominal value 0.09 per share (the Common Shares).
C. Contemporaneously with the sale of the Shares, the parties hereto will execute and deliver a Registration Rights Agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the Registration Rights Agreement), pursuant to which the Company will agree to provide certain registration rights in respect of the Shares under the 1933 Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and applicable state securities laws.
In consideration of the mutual promises made herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Definitions. For the purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
Affiliate means, with respect to any Person, any other Person which directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries Controls, is controlled by, or is under common Control with, such Person.
Business Day means a day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, on which banks in New York City are open for the general transaction of business.
Closing has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.
Closing Date has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.
Control (including the terms controlling, controlled by or under common control with) means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
Deed of Issue has the meaning set forth in Section 2.
Disclosure Schedules has the meaning set forth in Section 4.
Environmental Laws has the meaning set forth in Section 4.16.
FCPA means the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
FDA has the meaning set forth in Section 4.27.
IFRS has the meaning set forth in Section 4.18.
Intellectual Property means all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, copyrights, trade secrets, licenses, domain names, information and proprietary rights and processes.
Investor Questionnaire has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.
Material Adverse Effect means a material adverse effect on (i) the assets, liabilities, results of operations, financial condition or business of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (ii) the legality or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or (iii) the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents; provided, however, that in no event shall any of the following occurring after the date hereof, alone or in combination, be deemed to constitute, or be taken into account in determining whether a Material Adverse Effect has occurred: (i) any change in the Companys share price or trading volume, or (ii) any effect caused by the announcement or pendency of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, or the identity of any Investor or any of its Affiliates as the purchaser in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.
Material Contract means any contract, instrument or other agreement to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound which is material to the business of the Company, including those that have been filed as an exhibit to the SEC Filings pursuant to Item 19, Instruction 4 of Form 20-F.
Nasdaq means The Nasdaq Global Market.
Person means an individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust, business trust, association, joint stock company, joint venture, sole proprietorship, unincorporated organization, governmental authority or any other form of entity not specifically listed herein.
Press Release has the meaning set forth in Section 7.6.
Registration Rights Agreement has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
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Required Investors has the meaning set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.
SEC Filings has the meaning set forth in Section 4.
Selling Shareholder Questionnaire has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.
Shares has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
Short Sales means all short sales as defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO under the 1934 Act (but shall not be deemed to include the location and/or reservation of borrowable Common Shares).
Subscription Amount means, as to an Investor, the aggregate amount to be paid for the Shares purchased hereunder as specified opposite such Investors name on Exhibit A attached hereto, under the column entitled Aggregate Purchase Price of Shares, in U.S. Dollars and in immediately available funds.
Subsidiaries has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1.
Trading Day means a day on which Nasdaq is open for trading.
Transaction Documents means this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, and the Deed of Issue.
Transfer Agent has the meaning set forth in Section 7.5.
1933 Act has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
1934 Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any successor statute, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
2. Purchase and Sale of the Shares. On the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, the Company will issue and sell, and the Investors will purchase, severally and not jointly, the number of Shares set forth opposite the name of such Investor under the heading Number of Shares to be Purchased on Exhibit A attached hereto at a price per Share equal to $18.00, pursuant to the execution by the Company of a deed of issue of the Shares under Dutch law in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the Deed of Issue). As a matter of Dutch law, references in this Agreement to Shares being sold and purchased (and the corollary usages of those terms) should be understood to mean that Shares are being issued and subscribed for, respectively.
3. Closing.
3.1. The closing of the purchase and sale of the Shares (which Shares are set forth in the Schedule of Investors) pursuant to this Agreement (the Closing) shall be held at 10:00 A.M. (Pacific Time) on the second Trading Day following the Effective Date at the offices of Latham & Watkins LLP, 200 Clarendon Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116, or at such other time and place as may be agreed to by the Company and the Investors (the Closing Date). At
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or prior to the Closing, each Investor shall execute any related agreements or other documents required to be executed hereunder, dated on or before the Closing Date, including but not limited to the Investor Questionnaire and the Selling Shareholder Notice and Questionnaire in the forms attached hereto as Appendix I and Appendix II (the Investor Questionnaire and the Selling Shareholder Questionnaire, respectively).
3.2. On the Closing Date, prior to the execution by the Company of the Deed of Issue, each Investor shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company the Subscription Amount via wire transfer of immediately available funds pursuant to the wire instructions delivered to such Investor by the Company on or prior to the Closing Date. The Company consents to payment of each Subscription Amount in United States dollars.
3.3. At the Closing, subject to receipt by the Company of the Subscription Amount from each Investor as contemplated by Section 3.2, the Company shall issue and deliver or cause to be issued and delivered to each Investor a number of Shares, registered in the name of the Investor, in the amount set forth opposite the name of such Investor under the heading Number of Shares to be Purchased on Exhibit A attached hereto pursuant to the Deed of Issue. Upon the execution of the Deed of Issue, the Company shall cause the Shares to be recorded in the register of the Transfer Agent in book entry form.
4. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company hereby represents and warrants to the Investors that, except as set forth in the schedules delivered herewith (collectively, the Disclosure Schedules), if any, and except as otherwise described in the Companys filings pursuant to the 1934 Act (collectively, the SEC Filings), which qualify these representations and warranties in their entirety, as of the date hereof:
4.1. Organization, Good Standing and Qualification. The Company is an entity duly incorporated and validly existing as a public company with limited liability (naamloze vennootschap) under the laws of the Netherlands, with the requisite corporate power and authority to own or lease and use its properties and assets, to execute and deliver the Transaction Documents, to carry out the provisions of the Transaction Documents, to issue and sell the Shares and to carry on its business as presently conducted as described in the SEC Filings. Each of the Companys Subsidiaries required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 19, Instruction 8 in an exhibit to its annual report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC for the year ended December 31, 2016 and any Subsidiaries that will be required to be disclosed for the year ended December 31, 2017 (the Subsidiaries) is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing (to the extent such concept exists in the relevant jurisdiction) under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, as applicable, and has all requisite power and authority to carry on its business to own and use its properties. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation or default in any material respect of any of the provisions of its respective articles of association, charter, certificate of incorporation, bylaws, limited partnership agreement or other organizational or constitutive documents. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries is duly qualified to do business as a foreign entity and is in good standing (to the extent such concept exists in the relevant jurisdiction) in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property makes such qualification necessary, except to the extent any failure to so qualify has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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4.2. Authorization. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority and has taken all requisite corporate action necessary for, and no further action on the part of the Company, its officers, directors and shareholders is necessary for, (i) the authorization, execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents, (ii) the authorization of the performance of all obligations of the Company hereunder or thereunder, and (iii) the issuance and delivery of the Shares. Each of the Transaction Documents, upon execution and delivery by the Company, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Investors, constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms, except (a) as limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors rights, (b) general principles of equity that restrict the availability of equitable remedies and (c) to the extent that the enforceability of indemnification provisions may be limited by applicable laws.
4.3. Capitalization. The Company has not issued any capital stock since its most recent SEC Filing, other than pursuant to the exercise of employee share options under the Companys share options plans. All of the issued and outstanding securities of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid, and none of such securities were issued in violation of any pre-emptive rights and such securities were issued in compliance in all material respects with applicable Dutch laws and U.S. state and federal securities law and any rights of third parties. Except as stipulated in the Articles of Association of the Company dated May 29, 2017, no Person is entitled to pre-emptive or similar statutory or contractual rights with respect to the issuance by the Company of any securities of the Company. Except for share options outstanding issued pursuant to the Companys share options plans, there are no outstanding warrants, options, convertible securities or other rights, agreements or arrangements of any character under which the Company is or may be obligated to issue any equity securities of any kind and except as contemplated by this Agreement. Except for the Registration Rights Agreement, there are no voting agreements, buy-sell agreements, option or right of first purchase agreements or other agreements of any kind among the Company and any of the security holders of the Company relating to the securities of the Company held by them. Except as provided in the Registration Rights Agreement, no Person has the right to require the Company to register any securities of the Company under the 1933 Act, whether on a demand basis or in connection with the registration of securities of the Company for its own account or for the account of any other Person.
4.4. Valid Issuance. Upon the execution of the Deed of Issue, the Shares will be duly and validly issued and, when paid for pursuant to this Agreement, will be fully paid and non-assessable, and shall be free and clear of all encumbrances and restrictions (other than those created by the Investors), except for restrictions on transfer set forth in the Transaction Documents or imposed by applicable securities laws.
4.5. Consents. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents and the offer, issuance and sale of the Shares require no consent of, action by or in respect of, or filing with, any Person, governmental body, agency, or official other than filings that have been made pursuant to applicable U.S. state securities laws and post-sale filings pursuant to applicable U.S. state and federal securities laws and the rules and regulations of Nasdaq, which the Company undertakes to file within the applicable time periods, and other than the registration statement required to be filed by the Registration Rights Agreement.
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4.6. Delivery of SEC Filings. True and complete copies of the SEC Filings have been made available by the Company to the Investors through the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system (the EDGAR System) (other than any information for which the Company has received confidential treatment from the SEC).
4.7. No Material Adverse Change. Since September 30, 2017, except as specifically set forth in a subsequent SEC Filing, there has not been:
(i) any change in the assets, liabilities, financial condition or operating results of the Company from that reflected in the financial statements filed as Exhibit 99.1 to the Companys Report on Form 6-K for the three months ended September 30, 2017, except for changes in the ordinary course of business which have not had and would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect;
(ii) any declaration or payment by the Company of any dividend, or any authorization or payment by the Company of any distribution, on any of the shares of the Company, or any redemption, cancellation or repurchase by the Company of any securities of the Company;
(iii) any material damage, destruction or loss, whether or not covered by insurance, to any assets or properties of the Company;
(iv) any waiver, not in the ordinary course of business, by the Company of a material right or of a material debt owed to it;
(v) any satisfaction or discharge of a material lien, claim or encumbrance or payment of any obligation by the Company, except in the ordinary course of business;
(vi) any change or amendment to the Companys Articles of Association, or termination of or material amendment to any contract of the Company that the Company is required to file with the SEC pursuant to Item 19, Instruction 4 of Form 20-F;
(vii) any material labor difficulties or, to the Companys knowledge, labor union organizing activities with respect to employees of the Company;
(viii) any material transaction entered into by the Company other than in the ordinary course of business;
(ix) the loss of the services of any executive officer (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act) of the Company; or
(x) any other event or condition that, to the Companys knowledge, has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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4.8. SEC Filings. The Company has timely filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under 1933 Act and the 1934 Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the 1934 Act, for the one year preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material). At the time of filing thereof, such SEC Filings complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act or 1934 Act, as applicable, and, as of their respective dates, did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
4.9. No Conflict, Breach, Violation or Default. The execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents by the Company and the issuance and sale of the Shares in accordance with the provisions thereof will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of (a) any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, the Companys Articles of Association as in effect on the date hereof (a true and complete copy of the English translation of which has been made available to the Investors through the EDGAR System), or (b) assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties in Section 5, any applicable statute, rule, regulation or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or its Subsidiaries, or any of their assets or properties, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any lien, encumbrance or other adverse claim upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or its Subsidiaries or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any Material Contract except, in the case of clauses (i)(b) and (ii) only, for such conflicts, breaches, violations and defaults as have not and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. This Section does not relate to matters with respect to tax status, which are the subject of Section 4.11, employee relations and labor matters, which are the subject of Section 4.14, intellectual property, which are the subject of Section 4.15, and environmental laws, which are the subject of Section 4.16.
4.10. Compliance. The Company is not (i) in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company under), nor has the Company received notice of a claim that it is in default under or in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) in violation of any judgment, decree or order of any court, arbitrator or governmental body or (iii) in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except in each case as would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
4.11. Tax Matters. The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all tax returns required to have been filed by the Company or its Subsidiaries with all appropriate governmental agencies and have paid all taxes shown thereon or otherwise owed by them. The Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in the applicable financial statements referred to in
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Section 4.18 below in respect of all U.S. federal and state and non-U.S. income and franchise taxes for all periods as to which the tax liability of the Company or its Subsidiaries has not been finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. There are no material tax liens or claims pending or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective material assets or property.
4.12. Title to Properties. The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real properties and all other tangible properties and assets owned by them, in each case free from liens, encumbrances and defects, except such as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect; and the Company and its Subsidiaries hold any leased real or personal property under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance and with no exceptions, except such as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
4.13. Certificates, Authorities and Permits. The Company and its Subsidiaries possess adequate certificates, authorities or permits issued by appropriate governmental agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them as described in the SEC Filings, except where failure to so possess would not reasonably be expected to, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries have not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authority or permit that, if determined adversely to the Company or its Subsidiaries, would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
4.14. Labor Matters.
(a) Neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries are parties to or bound by any collective bargaining agreements or other agreements with labor organizations.
(b) No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or with the employees of any principal supplier, manufacturer, customer or contractor of the Company, exists or, to the Companys knowledge, is threatened or imminent that would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(c) There are no claims pending against the Company before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or any other administrative body or in any court asserting any violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination Act of 1967, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 or 1983 or any other federal, state or local law, statute or ordinance barring discrimination of employment.
4.15. Intellectual Property. The Company and its Subsidiaries own, possess, license or have other rights to use, the patents and patent applications, copyrights, trademarks, service marks, trade names, service names and trade secrets necessary or material for use in connection with its businesses as currently conducted as described in the SEC Filings
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(collectively, the Intellectual Property Rights). There is no pending or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by any Person that the Companys business or the business of its Subsidiaries as now conducted infringes or otherwise violates any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of another. To the Companys knowledge, there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights that would have or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality, ownership and value of all of its Intellectual Property Rights, except where failure to do so would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. All material licenses or other material agreements under which the Company is granted rights to Intellectual Property are, to the Companys knowledge, in full force and effect and, to the Companys knowledge, there is no material default by any other party thereto, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has no reason to believe that the licensors under such licenses and other agreements do not have and did not have all requisite power and authority to grant the rights to the Intellectual Property purported to be granted thereby. The consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the other Transaction Documents will not result in the alteration, loss, impairment of or restriction on the Companys or any of its Subsidiaries ownership or right to use any Intellectual Property that is material to the conduct of the Companys business as currently conducted.
4.16. Environmental Matters. Except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any statute, rule, regulation, decision or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, relating to the use, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or relating to the protection or restoration of the environment or human exposure to hazardous or toxic substances (collectively, Environmental Laws), has released any hazardous substances regulated by Environmental Law on to any real property that it owns or operates, or has received any written notice or claim it is liable for any off-site disposal or contamination pursuant to any Environmental Laws; and to the Companys knowledge, there is no pending or threatened investigation that would reasonably be expected to lead to such a claim.
4.17. Legal Proceedings. There are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened, to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may reasonably be expected to become a party or to which any property of the Company is or may reasonably be expected to become the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or its Subsidiaries, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor, to the Companys knowledge, any director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any action involving a judicially filed claim of violation of or liability under U.S. federal or state securities laws or a judicially filed claim of breach of fiduciary duty. There has not been, and to the Companys knowledge, there is not pending or threatened, any investigation by the SEC involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company. The SEC has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act.
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4.18. Financial Statements. The financial statements included in each SEC Filing comply as to form in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing (or to the extent corrected by a subsequent restatement) and present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of the dates shown and its results of operations and cash flows for the periods shown, subject to normal, immaterial adjustments, and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with International Financing Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board and endorsed/adopted by the European Union (IFRS) (except as may be disclosed therein or in the notes thereto, and except that the unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by IFRS).
4.19. Insurance Coverage. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries maintain insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses as the Company reasonably deems adequate; the Company reasonably believes such insurance insures against such losses and risks in accordance with customary industry practice to protect the Company and the Subsidiaries and their respective businesses and which is commercially reasonably for the current conduct of its business; all such insurance is fully in force on the date hereof.
4.20. Compliance with Nasdaq Continued Listing Requirements. The Company is in compliance with applicable Nasdaq continued listing requirements. There are no proceedings pending or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened against the Company relating to the continued listing of the Common Shares on Nasdaq and the Company has not received any notice of, nor to the Companys knowledge is there any reasonable basis for, the delisting of the Common Shares from Nasdaq.
4.21. Brokers and Finders. No Person will have, as a result of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, any valid right, interest or claim against or upon the Company or, to the Companys knowledge, an Investor for any commission, fee or other compensation pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding entered into by or on behalf of the Company.
4.22. No Directed Selling Efforts or General Solicitation. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor any Person acting on its behalf has conducted any general solicitation or general advertising (as those terms are used in Regulation D) in connection with the offer or sale of any of the Shares.
4.23. No Integrated Offering. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor any Person acting on its behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security of the Company or solicited any offers to buy any security of the Company, under circumstances that would adversely affect reliance by the Company on Section 4(a)(2) for the exemption from registration for the transactions contemplated hereby or would require registration of the Shares under the 1933 Act.
4.24. Questionable Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the Companys knowledge, any of the current or former directors, officers, employees, agents or other Persons acting on behalf of the Company or its Subsidiaries, has on behalf of the
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Company or its Subsidiaries: (a) made any unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political activity; (b) made any direct or indirect unlawful payments to any governmental officials or employees from corporate funds; (c) established or maintained any unlawful or unrecorded fund of corporate monies or other assets which is in violation of law; (d) made any false or fictitious entries on the books and records of the Company; or (e) made any unlawful rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback, bribe or other unlawful payment of any nature or (f) violated or is in violation of any provision of the FCPA.
4.25. Internal Controls. The Company has established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the 1934 Act) for the Company and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the Company and required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is made known to the certifying officers by others within the Company. Except as described in the SEC Filings, the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in the Companys internal controls over financial reporting outside the scope of such SEC Filings.
4.26. Investment Company. The Company is not required to be registered as, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately following the Closing will not be required to register as, an investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
4.27. Tests and Preclinical and Clinical Trials. The studies, tests and preclinical and clinical trials conducted by the Company and, to the Companys knowledge, on behalf of the Company, that are described in the SEC Filings were and, if still pending, are being, conducted in all material respects in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the FDA) or any foreign governmental body exercising comparable authority, including accepted professional and scientific standards; the descriptions of the studies, tests and preclinical and clinical trials conducted by the Company or, to the Companys knowledge, on behalf of the Company contained in the SEC Filings are accurate and complete in all material respects; the Company is not aware of any other studies, tests or preclinical and clinical trials, the results of which call into question the results described in the SEC Filings; and the Company has not received any notices or correspondence from the FDA, any foreign, state or local governmental body exercising comparable authority or any Institutional Review Board requiring the termination, suspension, material modification or clinical hold of any studies, tests or preclinical or clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of the Company.
4.28. Manipulation of Price. The Company has not, and, to the Companys knowledge, no Person acting on its behalf has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Shares.
4.29. Bad Actor Disqualification. None of the Company, any predecessor or affiliated issuer of the Company nor, to the Companys knowledge, any director or executive officer of the Company or any promoter connected with the Company in any capacity, is subject to any of the bad actor disqualifications within the meaning of Rule 506(d) under the 1933 Act, except for a disqualification event covered by Rule 506(d)(2) or (d)(3).
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4.30. Disclosure. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the Company confirms that neither it nor, to the Companys knowledge, any other Person acting on its behalf has provided any of the Investors with any information that constitutes material, non-public information that will not otherwise be disclosed in the SEC Filings on or prior to the Trading Day immediately following the Effective Date. The Company understands and confirms that the Investors will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.
4.31. Accountants. KPMG Accountants N.V., (i) to the Companys knowledge, is an independent public accountant as required by the 1934 Act and (ii) expressed its opinion with respect to the audited financial statements and related schedules as of December 31, 2015 and 2016 and for fiscal years 2014, 2015 and 2016 included in the Companys Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016.
4.32. Approval of Placement. The Company and its Board of Directors have approved the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby, and warrant that any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement), or other similar anti-takeover provision pursuant to the Companys charter documents or the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation will not be invoked as a result of the Investors and the Company fulfilling their obligations or exercising their rights pursuant this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement or any other related agreements. All such anti-takeover provisions in effect as of the date hereof and the Closing Date are summarized generally in the applicable SEC Filing.
4.33. Sarbanes-Oxley. The Company is in material compliance with all provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, which are applicable to it as of the date hereof.
4.34. Transactions With Affiliates and Employees. To the Companys knowledge, none of the officers, directors, or employees of the Company is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, officers and directors) that is required to be disclosed and is not disclosed in the SEC Filings, including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer, director or such employee or, to the Companys knowledge, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee or partner, other than for (i) payment of salary, consulting fees or financial advisory fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) other employee benefits, including restricted stock programs and stock option agreements under any stock option plan of the Company.
4.35. Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Common Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the 1934 Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or which to the Companys knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Shares pursuant to the 1934 Act nor has the Company received any notification that the SEC is currently contemplating terminating such registration. The Company is currently in compliance with all applicable Nasdaq listing and maintenance requirements and, except as disclosed in the SEC Filings, the Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from Nasdaq to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of Nasdaq.
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4.36. Material Contracts. All Material Contracts which the Company is required to file pursuant to Item 19, Instruction 4 of Form 20-F have been filed as exhibits to the SEC Filings. The Company has not received a notice of termination or material modification nor is the Company otherwise aware of any threats to terminate or materially modify any of the Material Contracts.
4.37. Money Laundering. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the Money Laundering Laws), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Companys knowledge or any Subsidiary, threatened.
4.38. Foreign Private Issuer. The Company is a foreign private issuer within the meaning of Rule 405 under the 1933 Act.
5. Representations and Warranties of the Investors. Each of the Investors hereby, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants to the Company that:
5.1. Organization and Existence. Such Investor is a validly existing corporation, limited partnership or limited liability company and has all requisite corporate, partnership or limited liability company power and authority to enter into and consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder, and to invest in the Shares pursuant to this Agreement.
5.2. Authorization. The execution, delivery and performance by such Investor of the Transaction Documents to which such Investor is a party have been duly authorized and each has been duly executed and when delivered will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of such Investor, enforceable against such Investor in accordance with their respective terms, except: (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
5.3. Purchase Entirely for Own Account. The Shares to be received by such Investor hereunder will be acquired for such Investors own account, not as nominee or agent, and not with a view to the resale or distribution of any part thereof in violation of the 1933 Act, and such Investor has no present intention of selling, granting any participation in, or otherwise distributing the same in violation of the 1933 Act without prejudice, however, to such Investors right at all times to sell or otherwise dispose of all or any part of such Shares in compliance with
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applicable federal and state securities laws. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed a representation or warranty by Investor to hold the Shares for any period of time. Such Investor is not a broker-dealer registered with the SEC under the 1934 Act or an entity engaged in a business that would require it to be so registered.
5.4. Investment Experience. Such Investor acknowledges that it can bear the economic risk and complete loss of its investment in the Shares and has such knowledge and experience in financial or business matters that it is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the investment contemplated hereby.
5.5. Disclosure of Information. Such Investor has had an opportunity to receive, review and understand all information related to the Company requested by it and to ask questions of and receive answers from the Company regarding the Company, its business and the terms and conditions of the offering of the Shares, and has conducted and completed its own independent due diligence. Such Investor acknowledges receipt of copies of the SEC Filings. Such Purchaser has sought such accounting, legal and tax advice as it has considered necessary to make an informed decision with respect to its acquisition of the Shares. Based on the information and advice such Investor has deemed appropriate, it has independently made its own analysis and decision to enter into the Transaction Documents. Neither such inquiries nor any other due diligence investigation conducted by such Investor shall modify, limit or otherwise affect such Investors right to rely on the Companys representations and warranties contained in this Agreement.
5.6. Restricted Securities. Such Investor understands that the Shares are characterized as restricted securities under the U.S. federal securities laws inasmuch as they are being acquired from the Company in a transaction not involving a public offering and that under such laws and applicable regulations such securities may be resold without registration under the 1933 Act only in certain limited circumstances.
5.7. Legends. It is understood that, except as provided below, certificates evidencing the Shares may bear the following or any similar legend:
THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED UNLESS (I) SUCH SECURITIES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED FOR SALE PURSUANT TO THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, (II) SUCH SECURITIES MAY BE SOLD PURSUANT TO RULE 144 OR OTHER AVAILABLE EXEMPTION, OR (III) THE COMPANY HAS RECEIVED AN OPINION OF COUNSEL REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO IT THAT SUCH TRANSFER MAY LAWFULLY BE MADE WITHOUT REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED. THESE SECURITIES ARE SUBJECT TO TRANSFER AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN A
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SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT, DATED FEBRUARY 13, 2018, COPIES OF WHICH ARE ON FILE WITH THE COMPANY. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, THE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN OR FINANCING ARRANGEMENT SECURED BY THE SECURITIES.
If required by the authorities of any U.S. state in connection with the issuance of sale of the Shares, the legend required by such state authority.
5.8. Accredited Investor. At the time such Investor was offered the Shares, it was and, as of the date hereof, such Investor is an accredited investor within the meaning of Rule 501 under the 1933 Act and has executed and delivered to the Company its Investor Questionnaire, which such Investor represents and warrants is true, correct and complete. Such investor is a sophisticated institutional investor with sufficient knowledge, sophistication and experience in business, including transactions involving private placements in public equity, to properly evaluate the risks and merits of its purchase of the Shares. Such Investor has determined based on its own independent review and such professional advice as it deems appropriate that its purchase of the Shares and participation in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (i) are fully consistent with its financial needs, objectives and condition, (ii) comply and are fully consistent with all investment policies, guidelines and other restrictions applicable to such Investor, (iii) have been duly authorized and approved by all necessary action, (iv) do not and will not violate or constitute a default under such Investors charter, bylaws or other constituent document or under any law, rule, regulation, agreement or other obligation by which such Investor is bound and (v) are a fit, proper and suitable investment for such Investor, notwithstanding the substantial risks inherent in investing in or holding the Shares.
5.9. No General Solicitation. Such Investor did not learn of the investment in the Shares as a result of any general solicitation or general advertising.
5.10. Brokers and Finders. No Person will have, as a result of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, any valid right, interest or claim against or upon the Company or an Investor for any commission, fee or other compensation pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding entered into by or on behalf of such Investor.
5.11. Short Sales and Confidentiality Prior to the Date Hereof. Other than consummating the transactions contemplated hereunder, such Investor has not, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Investor, directly or indirectly executed any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of or otherwise sought to hedge its position in the securities of the Company during the period commencing as of the time that such Investor was first contacted by the Company or any other Person regarding the transactions contemplated hereby and ending immediately prior to the date hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of an Investor that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Investors assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Investors assets, the
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representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Shares covered by this Agreement. The Investors, its Affiliates and authorized representatives and advisors who are aware of the transactions contemplated hereby, maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to the identification of the availability of, or securing of, available shares to borrow in order to effect Short Sales, hedging transactions or similar transactions in the future.
5.12. No Government Recommendation or Approval. Such Investor understands that no U.S. federal or state agency, or similar agency of any other country, has reviewed, approved, passed upon, or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Company or the purchase of the Shares.
5.13. No Intent to Effect a Change of Control; Ownership. Such Investor has no present intent to effect a change of control of the Company as such term is understood under the rules promulgated pursuant to Section 13(d) of the 1934 Act and under the rules of Nasdaq. Except as set forth in its Selling Shareholder Questionnaire, as of the date hereof, neither the Investor nor any of its Affiliates is the owner of record or the beneficial owner of Common Shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Shares.
5.14. No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by such Investor of the Transaction Documents and the consummation by such Investor of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not (i) result in a violation of the organizational documents of such Investor or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any agreement, indenture or instrument to which such Investor is a party, or (iii) to such Investors knowledge, result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree (including federal and state securities laws) applicable to such Investor, except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for such conflicts, defaults, rights or violations which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the ability of such Investor to perform its obligations hereunder.
5.15. No Rule 506 Disqualifying Activities. Such Investor has not taken any of the actions set forth in, and is not subject to, the disqualification provisions of Rule 506(d)(1) of the 1933 Act.
5.16. Residency. Such Investor is a resident of or an entity organized under the jurisdiction specified below its address on the Schedule of Investors.
The Company acknowledges and agrees that the representations contained in this Section 5 shall not modify, amend or affect such Investors right to rely on the Companys representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or any representations and warranties contained in any other Transaction Document or any other document or instrument executed and/or delivered in connection with this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
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6. Conditions to Closing.
6.1. Conditions to the Investors Obligations. The obligation of each Investor to purchase Shares at the Closing is subject to the fulfillment to such Investors satisfaction, on or prior to the Closing Date, of the following conditions, any of which may be waived by such Investor (as to itself only):
(a) The representations and warranties made by the Company in Section 4 hereof shall be true and correct in all respects as of the date hereof and on the Closing Date, except to the extent any such representation or warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation or warranty shall be true and correct as of such earlier date. The Company shall have performed all obligations and covenants herein required to be performed by it on or prior to the Closing Date.
(b) The Company shall have obtained any and all consents, permits, approvals, registrations and waivers necessary for consummation of the purchase and sale of the Shares and the consummation of the other transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, including the waiver of any applicable registration rights that could affect the rights of the Investors under the Registration Rights Agreement, all of which shall be in full force and effect.
(c) The Company shall have executed and delivered the Registration Rights Agreement.
(d) No judgment, writ, order, injunction, award or decree of or by any court, or judge, justice or magistrate, including any bankruptcy court or judge, or any order of or by any governmental authority, shall have been issued, and no action or proceeding shall have been instituted by any governmental authority, enjoining or preventing the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or in the other Transaction Documents.
(e) The Investors shall have received an opinion from Latham & Watkins LLP, the Companys U.S. counsel, dated as of the Closing Date, in a customary form reasonably acceptable to the Investors.
(f) The Investors shall have received an opinion from NautaDutilh N.V., the Companys Dutch counsel, dated as of the Closing Date, in a customary form reasonably acceptable to the Investors.
(g) The Investors shall have received a certificate executed by an officer of the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, certifying that the closing conditions in this Section 6.1 have been met.
(h) The Investors shall have received a certificate executed by the secretary of the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, certifying the resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company approving the execution of this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and approving the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby.
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(i) No stop order or suspension of trading shall have been imposed by Nasdaq, the SEC or any other governmental or regulatory body with respect to public trading in the Common Shares.
6.2. Conditions to Obligations of the Company. The Companys obligation to sell and issue Shares at the Closing is subject to the fulfillment to the satisfaction of the Company on or prior to the Closing Date of the following conditions, any of which may be waived by the Company:
(a) The representations and warranties made by the Investors in Section 5 hereof shall be true and correct as of the Closing Date. The Investors shall have performed all obligations and covenants herein required to be performed by them on or prior to the Closing Date.
(b) Each Investor shall have executed and delivered the Registration Rights Agreement, an Investor Questionnaire and a Selling Shareholder Questionnaire.
(c) Any Investor purchasing Shares at the Closing shall have paid in full its Subscription Amount to the Company.
7. Covenants and Agreements of the Company.
7.1. Nasdaq Listing. The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to continue the listing and trading of its Common Shares on Nasdaq and, in accordance, therewith, will use commercially reasonable efforts to comply in all respects with the Companys reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of such market or exchange, as applicable.
7.2. Termination of Covenants. The provisions of Section 7.1 shall terminate and be of no further force and effect on the date on which the Companys obligations under the Registration Rights Agreement to register or maintain the effectiveness of any registration covering the Registrable Securities (as such term is defined in the Registration Rights Agreement) shall terminate.
7.3. Form D. The Company agrees to timely file a Form D with respect to the Shares as required under Regulation D and to provide a copy thereof, promptly upon request of an Investor.
7.4. Removal of Legends. Upon the earlier of such time as the Shares: (i) have been registered under the 1933 Act pursuant to an effective registration statement, or (ii) are eligible to be sold pursuant to Rule 144 without limitation during a three-month period without registration and upon the request of the each Investor as to such Investors Shares, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to within three Trading Days, but no more than five Trading Days: (A) deliver to the Transfer Agent irrevocable instructions that the transfer agent for the Common Shares (the Transfer Agent) shall make a new, unlegended entry for such book entry Shares, and (B) cause its counsel to deliver to the Transfer Agent one or more opinions to the effect that the removal of such legends in such circumstances may be effected under the 1933 Act; provided that in the case of a legend removal in accordance with the foregoing clause (ii),
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the removal shall be predicated on an undertaking by the holder that it shall sell the registered Shares only pursuant to an effective registration statement under the 1933 Act or in accordance with Rule 144. The Company shall be responsible for the fees of its Transfer Agent and all fees of the Depositary Trust Company associated with such issuance.
7.5. Pledge of Securities. The Company acknowledges and agrees that its Shares may be pledged by an Investor in connection with a bona fide margin agreement or other loan or financing arrangement that is secured by the Shares. The pledge of Shares shall not be deemed to be a transfer, sale or assignment of the Shares hereunder, and no Investor effecting a pledge of Shares shall be required to provide the Company with any notice thereof or otherwise make any delivery to the Company pursuant to this Agreement or any other Transaction Document; provided that an Investor and its pledgee shall be required to comply with the provisions of the Transaction Documents, including Section 7.5 hereof, in order to effect a sale, transfer or assignment of Shares to such pledgee.
7.6. Disclosure. The Company agrees to issue a press release disclosing all material terms of transactions contemplated by this Agreement (the Press Release) by 9:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the Trading Day immediately following the date of this Agreement.
7.7. Short Sales and Confidentiality After the Date Hereof. Each Investor covenants that neither it nor any Affiliates acting on its behalf or pursuant to any understanding with it will execute any Short Sales or otherwise seek to hedge its position in the Companys securities during the period from the date hereof until the earlier of such time as (i) after the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced or (ii) this Agreement is terminated in full. Each Investor covenants that until such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are publicly disclosed by the Company, such Investor will maintain the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction). Each Investor understands and acknowledges that the SEC currently takes the position that coverage of short sales of Common Shares against the box prior to effectiveness of a resale registration statement with securities included in such registration statement would be a violation of Section 5 of the 1933 Act, as set forth in Item 239.10 of the 1933 Act Rules Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations compiled by the Office of Chief Counsel, Division of Corporation Finance.
8. [RESERVED]
9. Miscellaneous.
9.1. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement may not be assigned by a party hereto without the prior written consent of the Company or the Investors, as applicable; provided, however, that an Investor may assign its rights and delegate its duties hereunder in whole or in part to an Affiliate without the prior written consent of the Company or the other Investors, provided such assignee agrees in writing to be bound by the provisions hereof that apply to Investors. The provisions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective permitted successors and assigns of the parties. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event that the Company is a party to a merger, consolidation,
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share exchange or similar business combination transaction in which the Common Shares are converted into the equity securities of another Person, from and after the effective time of such transaction, such Person shall, by virtue of such transaction, be deemed to have assumed the obligations of the Company hereunder, the term Company shall be deemed to refer to such Person and the term Shares shall be deemed to refer to the securities received by the Investors in connection with such transaction. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective permitted successors and assigns any rights, remedies, obligations, or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement.
9.2. Counterparts; Faxes; E-mail. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. This Agreement may also be executed via facsimile or e-mail, which shall be deemed an original.
9.3. Titles and Subtitles. The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are used for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement.
9.4. Notices. All notices and other communications under this Agreement must be in writing and are deemed duly delivered when (a) delivered if delivered personally or by nationally recognized overnight courier service (costs prepaid), (b) sent by facsimile with confirmation of transmission by the transmitting equipment (or, the first Business Day following such transmission if the date of transmission is not a Business Day) or (c) received or rejected by the addressee, if sent by United States of America certified or registered mail, return receipt requested; in each case to the following addresses or facsimile numbers and marked to the attention of the individual (by name or title) designated below (or to such other address, facsimile number or individual as a party may designate by notice to the other parties):
If to the Company:
Merus N.V.
Yalelaan 62
3584 CM Utrecht
The Netherlands
Attention: Peter Silverman, Head of Legal U.S.
With a copy (which will not constitute notice) to:
Latham & Watkins LLP
200 Clarendon Street
Boston, MA 02116
Facsimile: (617) 948-6001
Attention: Peter N. Handrinos
and
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NautaDutilh N.V.
Beethovenstraat 400
1082 PR Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Attn: Paul van der Bijl
If to the Investors:
to the addresses set forth on the signature pages hereto.
9.5. Expenses. The parties hereto shall pay their own costs and expenses in connection herewith regardless of whether the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated; it being understood that each of the Company and each Investor has relied on the advice of its own respective counsel.
9.6. Amendments and Waivers. Any term of this Agreement may be amended or terminated and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance and either retroactively or prospectively), only with the written consent of the Company and the Required Investors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may not be amended or terminated and the observance of any term of this Agreement may not be waived with respect to any Investor without the written consent of such Investor unless such amendment or waiver applies to all Investors in the same fashion. Any amendment or waiver taken effect in accordance with this paragraph shall be binding upon each holder of any Shares purchased under this Agreement at the time outstanding and each future holder of all such Shares and the Company.
9.7. Publicity. Except for the Press Release, no public release or announcement concerning the transactions contemplated hereby shall be issued by the Company or the Investors without the prior written consent of the Company (in the case of a release or announcement by the Investors) or the Investors (in the case of a release or announcement by the Company) (which consents shall not be unreasonably withheld), except as such release or announcement may be required by law or the applicable rules or regulations of any securities exchange or securities market, in which case the Company or the Investors, as the case may be, shall allow the Investors or the Company, as applicable, to the extent reasonably practicable in the circumstances, reasonable time to comment on such release or announcement in advance of such issuance. No later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on the fourth Business Day following the date of this Agreement, the Company will file a Report on Form 6-K (the 6-K) attaching the Press Release as well as copies of the Transaction Documents. The parties acknowledge that from and after the filing of the Press Release, no Investor shall be in possession of any material, nonpublic information received from the Company or any of its respective officers, directors, employees or agents, regarding the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreements.
9.8. Severability. Any provision of this Agreement that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof but shall be interpreted as if it were written so as to be enforceable to the maximum extent permitted by
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applicable law, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the parties hereby waive any provision of law which renders any provision hereof prohibited or unenforceable in any respect.
9.9. Entire Agreement. This Agreement, including the signature pages, exhibits attached hereto and the Disclosure Schedules, and the other Transaction Documents constitute the entire agreement among the parties hereof with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, both oral and written, between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof.
9.10. Further Assurances. The parties shall execute and deliver all such further instruments and documents and take all such other actions as may reasonably be required to carry out the transactions contemplated hereby and to evidence the fulfillment of the agreements herein contained.
9.11. Governing Law; Consent to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York without regard to the choice of law principles thereof (other than Sections 5-1401 and 5-1402 of the General Obligations Law). Each of the parties hereto irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York located in New York County and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York for the purpose of any suit, action, proceeding or judgment relating to or arising out of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. Service of process in connection with any such suit, action or proceeding may be served on each party hereto anywhere in the world by the same methods as are specified for the giving of notices under this Agreement. Each of the parties hereto irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction of any such court in any such suit, action or proceeding and to the laying of venue in such court. Each party hereto irrevocably waives any objection to the laying of venue of any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such courts and irrevocably waives any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO REQUEST A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LITIGATION WITH RESPECT TO THIS AGREEMENT AND REPRESENTS THAT COUNSEL HAS BEEN CONSULTED SPECIFICALLY AS TO THIS WAIVER.
9.12. Independent Nature of Investors Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Investor under any Transaction Document are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Investor, and no Investor shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Investor under any Transaction Document. The decision of each Investor to purchase Shares pursuant to the Transaction Documents has been made by such Investor independently of any other Investor. Nothing contained herein or in any Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Investor pursuant thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Investors as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Investors are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Each Investor acknowledges that no other Investor has acted as agent for such Investor in connection with making its investment hereunder and that no Investor will be acting as agent of
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such Investor in connection with monitoring its investment in the Shares or enforcing its rights under the Transaction Documents. Each Investor shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including, without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of the other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any other Investor to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement or caused their duly authorized officers to execute this Agreement as of the date first above written.
COMPANY: | MERUS N.V. | |||||
By: | /s/ Ton Logtenberg | |||||
Name: Ton Logtenberg | ||||||
Title: Chief Executive Officer |
[Signature Page to Securities Purchase Agreement]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement or caused their duly authorized officers to execute this Agreement as of the date first above written.
INVESTORS:
BIOTECHNOLOGY VALUE FUND, L.P. | ||
By: | /s/ Mark Lampert |
Name: Mark Lampert | ||
Title: President BVF Inc., General Partner of BVF Partners L.P., itself GP of Biotechnology Value Fund, L.P. | ||
Address: | ||
1 Sansome Street #30 | ||
San Francisco, CA 94104 | ||
BIOTECHNOLOGY VALUE FUND II, LP | ||
By: | /s/ Mark Lampert |
Name: Mark Lampert | ||
Title: President BVF Inc., General Partner of BVF Partners L.P., itself GP of Biotechnology Value Fund II, L.P. | ||
Address: | ||
1 Sansome Street #30 | ||
San Francisco, CA 94104 | ||
BIOTECHNOLOGY VALUE TRADING FUND OS, L.P. | ||
By: | /s/ Mark Lampert |
Name: Mark Lampert | ||
Title: President BVF Inc., General Partner of BVF Partners L.P., itself sole member of BVF Partners OS Ltd., itself GP of Biotechnology Trading Fund OS, L.P. |
Address: | ||
PO Box 309 Ugland House, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104, Cayman Islands |
[Signature Page to Merus NV Securities Purchase Agreement]
INVESTMENT 10, LLC | ||
By: | /s/ Mark Lampert | |
Name: Mark Lampert | ||
Title: President BVF Inc., General Partner of BVF Partners L.P., itself investment advisor of Investment 10, LLC | ||
Address: | ||
90 N Michigan Ave Suite 1100 | ||
Chicago, IL 60611 | ||
MSI BVF SPV, L.L.C. | ||
c/o Magnitude Capital | ||
By: | /s/ Mark Lampert | |
Name: Mark Lampert | ||
Title: President BVF Inc., itself General Partner of BVF Partners L.P., itself attorney-in-fact for MSI BVF SPV, L.L.C. | ||
Address: | ||
200 Park Avenue, 56th Floor | ||
New York, NY 10166 |
With a copy (which will not constitute notice) to:
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
555 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Facsimile: (415) 374-8430
Attention: Ryan A. Murr
[Signature Page to Merus NV Securities Purchase Agreement]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement or caused their duly authorized officers to execute this Agreement as of the date first above written.
INVESTOR:
SOFINNOVA VENTURE PARTNERS IX, L.P. | ||
By: | Sofinnova Management IX, L.L.C. | |
Its: | General Partner |
By: | /s/ Anand Mehra | |
Name: | Anand Mehra | |
Title: | Managing Member |
Address for Notices: |
3000 Sand Hill Road, Bldg. 4 |
Suite 250 |
Menlo Park, CA 94025 |
Attn: Anand Mehra |
Email: anand@sofinnova.com |
[Signature Page to Securities Purchase Agreement]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement or caused their duly authorized officers to execute this Agreement as of the date first above written.
INVESTOR:
AQUILO CAPITAL II, L.P. | ||
By: | Aquilo Capital Management, LLC | |
Its: | General Partner |
By: | /s/ Marc R. Schneidman | |
Name: | Marc R. Schneidman | |
Title: | Manager |
Address for Notices: |
One Letterman Drive, Suite D4900 |
Building D, The Presidio |
San Francisco, CA 94129 |
Attn: Marc R. Schneidman |
Email: MSchneidman@aquilocap.com |
AQUILO CAPITAL, L.P. | ||
By: | Aquilo Capital Management, LLC | |
Its: | General Partner |
By: | /s/ Marc R. Schneidman | |
Name: | Marc R. Schneidman | |
Title: | Manager |
Address for Notices: |
One Letterman Drive, Suite D4900 |
Building D, The Presidio |
San Francisco, CA 94129 |
Attn: Marc R. Schneidman |
Email: MSchneidman@aquilocap.com |
[Signature Page to Securities Purchase Agreement]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement or caused their duly authorized officers to execute this Agreement as of the date first above written.
INVESTOR:
LSP Life Sciences Fund NV | ||
/s/ Mark Wegter and Geraldine OKeeffe | ||
By: | LSP Advisory BV | |
Title: | Director | |
By: | Mark Wegter and Geraldine OKeeffe | |
Title: | Directors |
Address for Notices: |
Johannes Vermeerplein 9 |
1071 DV Amsterdam |
The Netherlands |
Attn: Bas Vaessen, General Counsel |
Email: gokeeffe@lspvc.com |
[Signature Page to Securities Purchase Agreement]
EXHIBIT A
Schedule of Investors
Investor Name and Address |
Number of Shares to be Purchased |
Aggregate Purchase Price of Shares |
||||||
BIOTECHNOLOGY VALUE FUND, L.P. 1 Sansome Street #30 San Francisco, CA 94104 Email: loy@bvflp.com |
991,850 | $ | 17,853,300 | |||||
BIOTECHNOLOGY VALUE FUND II, LP 1 Sansome Street #30 San Francisco, CA 94104 Email: loy@bvflp.com |
661,180 | $ | 11,901,240 | |||||
INVESTMENT 10, LLC 900 N Michigan Ave Suite 1100 Chicago, IL 60611 Email:loy@bvflp.com |
100,751 | $ | 1,813,518 | |||||
MSI BVF SPV, L.L.C. 200 Park Avenue, 56th Floor New York, NY 10166 Email: loy@bvflp.com |
170,380 | $ | 3,066,840 | |||||
BIOTECHNOLOGY VALUE TRADING FUND OS, L.P. PO Box 309 Ugland House, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104, Cayman Islands Email: loy@bvflp.com |
200,282 | $ | 3,605,076 | |||||
Aquilo Capital, L.P. One Letterman Drive, Suite D4900 Building D, The Presidio San Francisco, CA 94129 Attn: Marc Schneidman Email: mschneidman@aquilocap.com Tberta@agilefs.com |
435,555 | $ | 7,839,990 | |||||
Aquilo Capital II, L.P. One Letterman Drive, Suite D4900 Building D, The Presidio San Francisco, CA 94129 Attn: Marc Schneidman Email: mschneidman@aquilocap.com Tberta@agilefs.com |
95,555 | $ | 1,719,990.00 | |||||
Sofinnova Venture Partners IX, L.P. 3000 Sand Hill Road, Bldg. 4 Suite 250 Menlo Park, CA 94025 Attn: Anand Mehra Email: anand@sofinnova.com |
222,222 | $ | 3,999,996.00 | |||||
LSP Life Sciences Fund NV Johannes Vermeerplein 9 1071 DV Amsterdam The Netherlands Attn: Bas Vaessen, General Counsel Email: gokeeffe@lspvc.com |
222,222 | $ | 3,999,996.00 | |||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Totals: |
3,099,997 | $ | 55,799,946.00 | |||||
|
|
|
|
EXHIBIT B
Form of Registration Rights Agreement
Execution Version
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this Agreement) is made and entered into as of February 13, 2018 by and among Merus N.V., a public company with limited liability (naamloze vennootschap) incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands (the Company), and the Investors named in the Securities Purchase Agreement of even date herewith by and among the Company and the Investors identified on Exhibit A attached thereto (the Purchase Agreement). Capitalized terms used herein have the respective meanings ascribed thereto in the Purchase Agreement unless otherwise defined herein.
The parties hereby agree as follows:
1. Certain Definitions.
As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
Investors means the Investors identified in the Purchase Agreement and any Affiliate or permitted transferee of any such Investor who is a subsequent holder of Registrable Securities.
Prospectus means (i) the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement and by all other amendments and supplements to the prospectus, including post-effective amendments and all material incorporated by reference in such prospectus, and (ii) any free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act.
Register, registered and registration refer to a registration made by preparing and filing a Registration Statement or similar document in compliance with the 1933 Act, and the declaration or ordering of effectiveness of such Registration Statement or document.
Registrable Securities means (i) the Shares and (ii) any other Common Shares issued pursuant to a stock split, as a dividend or other distribution with respect to, in exchange for or in replacement of the Shares; provided, however, that any such Registrable Securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities (and the Company shall not be required to maintain the effectiveness of any, or file another, Registration Statement hereunder with respect thereto) upon the first to occur of (A) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale all of such Registrable Securities being declared effective by the SEC under the 1933 Act and such Registrable Securities having been disposed of or transferred by the holder thereof in accordance with such effective Registration Statement, (B) such Registrable Securities having been previously sold or transferred in accordance with Rule 144 (or another exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act), (C) such securities becoming eligible for resale without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions and without current public information requirements pursuant to Rule 144 and (D) the third anniversary of the Closing Date.
Registration Statement means any registration statement of the Company under the 1933 Act that covers the resale of any of the Registrable Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, amendments and supplements to such Registration Statement, including post-effective amendments, all exhibits and all material incorporated by reference in such Registration Statement.
Required Investors means the Investors holding a majority of the Registrable Securities outstanding from time to time.
SEC means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
SEC Guidance means (i) any publicly-available written or oral guidance of the SEC staff, or any comments, requirements or requests of the SEC staff and (ii) the 1933 Act.
2. Registration.
(a) Registration Statement.
(i) By May 15, 2018 (the Filing Deadline), the Company shall prepare and file with the SEC one Registration Statement covering the resale of all of the Registrable Securities which, for the avoidance of doubt, may also register the sale of primary securities. Subject to any SEC comments, such Registration Statement shall include the plan of distribution, substantially in the form and substance, set forth in Part III of each Investors Selling Stockholder Notice and Questionnaire. Such Registration Statement also shall cover, to the extent allowable under the 1933 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder (including Rule 416), such indeterminate number of additional Common Shares resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions with respect to the Registrable Securities. Upon request, such Registration Statement (and each amendment or supplement thereto, and each request for acceleration of effectiveness thereof) shall be provided in accordance with Section 3(c) to the Investors prior to its filing or other submission. If a Registration Statement covering the Registrable Securities is not filed with the SEC on or prior to the fifth Business Day following the Filing Deadline, at the election of each Investor, the Company will make pro rata payments to each electing Investor, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, in an amount equal to 1% of the aggregate amount paid pursuant to the Purchase Agreement by such Investor for such Registrable Securities then held by such Investor for each 30-day period or pro rata for any portion thereof following the Filing Deadline for which no Registration Statement is filed with respect to the Registrable Securities. For each Investor that elects to receive such liquidated damages, such payments shall constitute such Investors exclusive monetary remedy for such events, and shall be in addition to any other rights the Investors may have hereunder or under applicable law and shall not affect the right of the Investors to seek injunctive relief. Such payments shall be made to each electing Investor in cash no later than five (5) Business Days after the end of each 30-day period (the Payment Date). Interest shall accrue at the rate of 1% per month on any such liquidated damages payments that shall not be paid by the Payment Date until such amount is paid in full.
(ii) The Company shall take reasonable best efforts to register the Registrable Securities on Form F-3 following the date such form is available for use by the Company, provided that if at such time the Registration Statement is on Form F-1, the Company shall maintain the effectiveness of the Registration Statement then in effect until such time as a Registration Statement on Form F-3 covering the Registrable Securities has been declared effective by the SEC.
(b) Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses associated with each Registration Statement, including filing and printing fees, the Companys counsel and accounting fees and expenses, costs associated with clearing the Registrable Securities for sale under applicable state securities laws and listing fees, but excluding discounts, commissions, fees of underwriters, selling brokers, dealer managers or similar securities industry professionals with respect to the Registrable Securities being sold. Except as provided in Section 6 hereof, the Company shall not be responsible for legal fees incurred by holders of Registrable Securities in connection with the performance of its rights and obligations under the Transaction Documents.
(c) Effectiveness.
(i) The Company shall use reasonable best efforts to have the Registration Statements declared effective as soon as practicable. The Company shall notify the Investors by facsimile or e-mail as promptly as practicable, and in any event, within forty-eight (48) hours, after (x) the SEC notified the Company that it has no further comments to the Registration Statement and (y) any Registration Statement is declared effective, and shall simultaneously provide the Investors with access to a copy of any related Prospectus to be used in connection with the sale or other disposition of the securities covered thereby. Subject to Section 2(d), if (A) a Registration Statement covering the Registrable Securities is not declared effective by the SEC prior to the 120th day after the Closing Date (or the 150th day if the SEC reviews such Registration Statement) (the Effectiveness Deadline), or (B) after a Registration Statement has been declared effective by the SEC, sales cannot be made pursuant to such Registration Statement for any reason (including without limitation by reason of a stop order, or the Companys failure to update such Registration Statement), but excluding any Allowed Delay (as defined below) or, if the Registration Statement is on Form F-1, for a period of twenty (20) days following the date on which the Company files a post-effective amendment to incorporate the Companys Annual Report on Form 20-F (a Maintenance Failure), then, at the election of each Investor, the Company will make pro rata payments to each electing Investor then holding Registrable Securities, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, in an amount equal to 1% of the aggregate amount paid pursuant to the Purchase Agreement by such Investor for such Registrable Securities then held by such Investor for each 30-day period or pro rata for any portion thereof following the date by which such Registration Statement should have been effective (the Blackout Period). For each Investor that elects to receive liquidated damages, such payments shall constitute such Investors exclusive monetary remedy for such events and shall be in addition to any other rights the Investors may have hereunder or under applicable law and shall not affect the right of the Investors to seek injunctive relief. The amounts payable as liquidated damages pursuant to this paragraph shall be paid no later than five (5) Business Days after each such 30-day period following the commencement of the Blackout Period until the termination of the Blackout Period. Such payments shall be made to each electing Investor in cash. Interest shall accrue at the rate of 1% per month on any such liquidated damages payments that shall not be paid by the Blackout Payment Date until such amount is paid in full.
(ii) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company may, upon written notice to any holder of Registrable Securities included in a Registration Statement, suspend the use of any Registration Statement, including any Prospectus that forms a part of a Registration Statement, if the Company (X) determines that it would be required to make disclosure of material information in the Registration Statement that the Company has a bona fide business purpose for preserving as confidential, (Y) the Company determines it must amend or supplement the Registration Statement or the related Prospectus so
that such Registration Statement or Prospectus shall not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the case of the Prospectus in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (Z) the Company has experienced or is experiencing some other material non-public event, including a pending transaction involving the Company, the disclosure of which at such time, in the good faith judgment of the Company, would adversely affect the Company; provided, however, in no event shall holders of Registrable Securities be suspended from selling Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement for a period that exceeds 120 calendar days (which need not be consecutive) in any 360-day period (any such suspension contemplated by this Section 2(c)(ii), an Allowed Delay). Upon disclosure of such information or the termination of the condition described above, the Company shall provide prompt notice to holders whose Registrable Securities are included in the Registration Statement, and shall promptly terminate any suspension of sales it has put into effect and shall take such other reasonable actions to permit registered sales of Registrable Securities as contemplated hereby.
(d) Rule 415; Cutback. If at any time the SEC takes the position that the offering of some or all of the Registrable Securities in a Registration Statement is not eligible to be made on a delayed or continuous basis under the provisions of Rule 415 under the 1933 Act (provided, however, the Company shall be obligated to use diligent efforts to advocate with the SEC for the registration of all of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the SEC Guidance, including without limitation, Compliance and Disclosure Interpretation 612.09) or requires any Investor to be named as an underwriter, the Company shall (i) promptly notify each holder of Registrable Securities thereof and (ii) make reasonable best efforts to persuade the SEC that the offering contemplated by such Registration Statement is a valid secondary offering and not an offering by or on behalf of the issuer as defined in Rule 415 and that none of the Investors is an underwriter. The Investors shall have the right to select one legal counsel designated by the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities to review and oversee any registration or matters pursuant to this Section 2(d), including participation in any meetings or discussions with the SEC regarding the SECs position and to comment on any written submission made to the SEC with respect thereto. No such written submission with respect to this matter shall be made to the SEC to which the Investors counsel reasonably objects. In the event that, despite the Companys reasonable best efforts and compliance with the terms of this Section 2(d), the SEC refuses to alter its position, the Company shall (i) remove from such Registration Statement such portion of the Registrable Securities (the Cut Back Shares) and/or (ii) agree to such restrictions and limitations on the registration and resale of the Registrable Securities as the SEC may require to assure the Companys compliance with the requirements of Rule 415 (collectively, the SEC Restrictions); provided, however, that the Company shall not agree to name any Investor as an underwriter in such Registration Statement without the prior written consent of such Investor. In the event of a cutback hereunder, the Company shall give the Investor at least five (5) Business Days prior written notice along with the calculations as to such Investors allotment. Any cut-back imposed on the Investors pursuant to this Section 2(d) shall be allocated among the Investors on a pro rata basis and shall be applied first to any of the Registrable Securities of such Investor as such Investor shall designate, unless the SEC Restrictions otherwise require or provide or the Investors otherwise agree. No liquidated damages shall accrue as to any Cut Back Shares until such date as the Company is able to effect the registration of such Cut Back Shares in accordance with any SEC Restrictions applicable to such Cut Back Shares (such date, the Restriction Termination Date). In furtherance of the foregoing, each Investor shall provide the Company with prompt written
notice of its sale of substantially all of the Registrable Securities under such Registration Statement such that the Company will be able to file one or more additional Registration Statements covering the Cut Back Shares. From and after the Restriction Termination Date applicable to any Cut Back Shares, all of the provisions of this Section 2 (including the Companys obligations with respect to the filing of a Registration Statement and its obligations to use reasonable best efforts to have such Registration Statement declared effective within the time periods set forth herein and the liquidated damages provisions relating thereto) shall again be applicable to such Cut Back Shares; provided, however, that (i) the Filing Deadline for such Registration Statement including such Cut Back Shares shall be ten (10) Business Days after such Restriction Termination Date, and (ii) the date by which the Company is required to obtain effectiveness with respect to such Cut Back Shares shall be the 60th day immediately after the Restriction Termination Date (or the 90th day if the SEC reviews such Registration Statement).
(e) Other Limitations. Notwithstanding any other provision herein or in the Purchase Agreement, (i) the Filing Deadline and each Effectiveness Deadline for a Registration Statement shall be extended and any Maintenance Failure shall be automatically waived by no action of the Investors, in each case, without default by or liquidated damages payable by the Company hereunder in the event that the Companys failure to make such filing or obtain such effectiveness or a Maintenance Failure results from the failure of an Investor to timely provide the Company with information requested by the Company and necessary to complete a Registration Statement in accordance with the requirements of the 1933 Act (in which case any such deadline would be extended, and a Maintenance Failure waived, with respect to all Registrable Securities until such time as the Investor provides such requested information) and (ii) in no event shall the aggregate amount of liquidated damages (or interest thereon) paid hereunder exceed, in the aggregate, 8% of the aggregate purchase price of the Shares purchased by the Investors under the Purchase Agreement.
3. Company Obligations. The Company will use reasonable best efforts to effect the registration of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the terms hereof, and pursuant thereto the Company will, as expeditiously as possible:
(a) use reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective and to remain continuously effective until such time as there are no longer Registrable Securities held by the Investors (the Effectiveness Period) and advise the Investors promptly in writing when the Effectiveness Period has expired;
(b) prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and post-effective amendments to such Registration Statement and the related Prospectus as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement effective for the Effectiveness Period and to comply with the provisions of the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act with respect to the distribution of all of the Registrable Securities covered thereby;
(c) permit, upon request, any counsel designated by the Investors to review each Registration Statement and all amendments and supplements thereto prior to their filing with the SEC and shall use reasonable best efforts to reflect in such documents any comments as such counsel may reasonably propose;
(d) furnish to each Investor whose Registrable Securities are included in any Registration Statement (i) promptly after the same is prepared and filed with the SEC, if requested by the Investor, one (1) copy of any Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, each preliminary prospectus and Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto, and each letter written by or on behalf of the Company to the SEC or the staff of the SEC, and each item of correspondence from the SEC or the staff of the SEC, in each case relating to such Registration Statement (other than any portion thereof which contains information for which the Company has sought confidential treatment), and (ii) such number of copies of a Prospectus, including a preliminary prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto and such other documents as each Investor may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Investor (it being understood and agreed that such documents, or access thereto, may be provided electronically);
(e) use reasonable best efforts to (i) prevent the issuance of any stop order or other suspension of effectiveness and, (ii) if such order is issued, obtain the withdrawal of any such order at the earliest possible moment;
(f) prior to any public offering of Registrable Securities, use reasonable best efforts to assist or cooperate with the Investors and their counsel in connection with their registration or qualification of such Registrable Securities for the offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions reasonably requested by the Investors; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith or as a condition thereto to (i) qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this Section 3(f), (ii) subject itself to general taxation in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be so subject but for this Section 3(f), or (iii) file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction;
(g) use reasonable best efforts to cause all Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement to be listed on the Nasdaq Global Market (or the primary securities exchange, interdealer quotation system or other market on which the Common Shares are then listed);
(h) promptly notify the Investors, at any time prior to the end of the Effectiveness Period, upon discovery that, or upon the happening of any event as a result of which, the Prospectus includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances then existing, and promptly prepare, file with the SEC and furnish to such holder a supplement to or an amendment of such Prospectus as may be necessary so that such Prospectus shall not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances then existing;
(i) otherwise use reasonable best efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC under the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act, including, without limitation, Rule 172 under the 1933 Act, file any final Prospectus, including any supplement or amendment thereof, with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, promptly inform the Investors in writing if, at any time during the Effectiveness Period, the Company does not satisfy the conditions
specified in Rule 172 and, as a result thereof, the Investors are required to deliver a Prospectus in connection with any disposition of Registrable Securities and take such other actions as may be reasonably necessary to facilitate the registration of the Registrable Securities hereunder;
(j) with a view to making available to the Investors the benefits of Rule 144 (or its successor rule) and any other rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit the Investors to sell Common Shares to the public without registration, the Company covenants and agrees to: (i) make and keep public information available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144, until the earlier of (A) six months after such date as all of the Registrable Securities may be sold without restriction by the holders thereof pursuant to Rule 144 or any other rule of similar effect or (B) such date as there are no longer Registrable Securities; (ii) file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the 1934 Act; and (iii) furnish electronically to each Investor upon request, as long as such Investor owns any Registrable Securities, (A) a written statement by the Company that it has complied with the reporting requirements of the 1934 Act, (B) a copy of or electronic access to the Companys most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F or Current Report on Form 6-K in which the Company has furnished its quarterly financial statements, and (C) such other information as may be reasonably requested in order to avail such Investor of any rule or regulation of the SEC that permits the selling of any such Registrable Securities without registration; and
(k) if requested by an Investor, cooperate with such Investor to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Securities to be delivered to a transferee pursuant to an effective Registration Statement, which certificates shall be free, to the extent permitted by applicable law, of all restrictive legends, and to enable such certificates to be in such denominations and registered in such names as any such Investor may request.
4. Due Diligence Review; Information. If any Investor is required under applicable securities laws to be described in a Registration Statement as an underwriter, the Company shall, upon reasonable prior notice, make available, during normal business hours, for inspection and review by the Investors, advisors to and representatives of the Investors (who may or may not be affiliated with the Investors and who are reasonably acceptable to the Company) (collectively, the Inspectors), all pertinent financial and other records, and all other corporate documents and properties of the Company (collectively, the Records) as may be reasonably necessary for the purpose of such review, and cause the Companys officers, directors and employees, within a reasonable time period, to supply all such information reasonably requested by the Inspectors (including, without limitation, in response to all questions and other inquiries reasonably made or submitted by any of them), prior to and from time to time after the filing and effectiveness of such Registration Statement for the sole purpose of enabling such Investor and its accountants and attorneys to conduct such due diligence solely for the purpose of establishing a due diligence defense to underwriter liability under the 1933 Act; provided, however, that each Inspector shall agree to hold in strict confidence and shall not make any disclosure (except to such Investor) or use of any Record or other information which the Company determines in good faith to be confidential, and of which determination the Inspectors are so notified, unless (a) the disclosure of such Records is necessary to avoid or correct a misstatement or omission in any Registration Statement or is otherwise required under the 1933 Act, (b) the release of such Records is ordered pursuant to a final, non-appealable subpoena or order from a court or government body of competent jurisdiction, or (c) the information in such Records has been made generally available
to the public other than by disclosure in violation of this Section 4 or the Purchase Agreement. Each Investor agrees that it shall, upon learning that disclosure of such Records is sought in or by a court or governmental body of competent jurisdiction or through other means, give prompt notice to the Company and allow the Company, at its expense, to undertake appropriate action to prevent disclosure of, or to obtain a protective order for, the Records deemed confidential. Nothing herein (or in any other confidentiality agreement between the Company and any Investor) shall be deemed to limit the Investors ability to sell Registrable Securities in a manner which is otherwise consistent with applicable laws and regulations.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not disclose material nonpublic information to the Investors, or to advisors to or representatives of the Investors, unless prior to disclosure of such information the Company identifies such information as being material nonpublic information and provides the Investors, such advisors and representatives with the opportunity to accept or refuse to accept such material nonpublic information for review and any Investor wishing to obtain such information enters into an appropriate confidentiality agreement with the Company with respect thereto.
5. Obligations of the Investors.
(a) Each Investor shall execute and deliver a Selling Stockholder Questionnaire prior to the Closing Date. Each Investor shall additionally furnish in writing to the Company such other information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it and the intended method of disposition of the Registrable Securities held by it, as shall be reasonably required to effect the registration of such Registrable Securities and shall execute such documents in connection with such registration as the Company may reasonably request. At least five (5) Business Days prior to the first anticipated filing date of any Registration Statement, the Company shall notify each Investor of the additional information the Company requires from such Investor if such Investor elects to have any of the Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement (the Registration Information Notice). An Investor shall provide such information to the Company no later than two (2) Business Days following receipt of a Registration Information Notice if such Investor elects to have any of the Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement. It is agreed and understood that it shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of the Company to complete the registration pursuant to this Agreement with respect to the Registrable Securities of a particular Investor that (i) such Investor furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it and the intended method of disposition of the Registrable Securities held by it as shall be reasonably required to effect the effectiveness of the registration of such Registrable Securities, and (ii) the Investor execute such documents in connection with such registration as the Company may reasonably request, including, without limitation, a waiver of its registration rights hereunder to the extent an Investor elects not to have any of its Registrable Securities included in a Registration Statement.
(b) Each Investor, by its acceptance of the Registrable Securities, agrees to cooperate with the Company as reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of a Registration Statement hereunder, unless such Investor has notified the Company in writing of its election to exclude all of its Registrable Securities from such Registration Statement.
(c) Each Investor agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from the Company of either (i) the commencement of an Allowed Delay pursuant to Section 2(c)(ii) or (ii) the happening of an event pursuant to Section 3(h) hereof, such Investor will immediately discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to any Registration Statement covering such Registrable Securities, until the Investor is advised by the Company that such dispositions may again be made.
(d) Each Investor covenants and agrees that it will comply with the prospectus delivery requirements of the 1933 Act as applicable to it or an exemption therefrom in connection with sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to any Registration Statement.
6. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification by the Company. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Investor and its officers, directors, members, employees and agents, successors and assigns, and each other person, if any, who controls such Investor within the meaning of the 1933 Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they may become subject under the 1933 Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission of any material fact contained in any Registration Statement, any preliminary Prospectus or final Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereof; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case if and to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon (i) an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission so made in conformity with information furnished by such Investor or any such controlling person in writing specifically for use in such Registration Statement or Prospectus, (ii) the use by an Investor of an outdated or defective Prospectus after the Company has notified such Investor in writing that such Prospectus is outdated or defective or (iii) an Investors failure to send or give a copy of the Prospectus or supplement (as then amended or supplemented), if required (and not exempted) to the Persons asserting an untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of Registrable Securities.
(b) Indemnification by the Investors. Each Investor agrees, severally but not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company, its directors, officers, employees, stockholders and each person who controls the Company (within the meaning of the 1933 Act) against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expense (including reasonable attorney fees) resulting from any untrue statement of a material fact or any omission of a material fact required to be stated in any Registration Statement or Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information regarding such Investor and furnished in writing by such Investor to the Company specifically for inclusion in such Registration Statement or Prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto. In no event shall the liability of an Investor be greater than the dollar amount of the proceeds received by such Investor upon the sale of the Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement giving rise to such indemnification obligation.
(c) Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings. Any person entitled to indemnification hereunder shall (i) give prompt notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification and (ii) permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party; provided, that any person entitled to indemnification hereunder shall have the right to employ separate counsel and to participate in the defense of such claim, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such person unless (A) the indemnifying party has agreed to pay such fees or expenses, (B) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume the defense of such claim and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such person or (C) in the reasonable judgment of any such person, based upon written advice of its counsel, a conflict of interest exists between such person and the indemnifying party with respect to such claims (in which case, if the person notifies the indemnifying party in writing that such person elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of such claim on behalf of such person); and provided, further that the failure of any indemnified party to give notice as provided herein shall not relieve the indemnifying party of its obligations hereunder, except to the extent that such failure to give notice shall materially adversely affect the indemnifying party in the defense of any such claim or litigation. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for fees or expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys at any time for all such indemnified parties. No indemnifying party will, except with the consent of the indemnified party, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or conditioned, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement that does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release from all liability in respect of such claim or litigation.
(d) Contribution. If for any reason the indemnification provided for in the preceding paragraphs (a) and (b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient to hold it harmless, other than as expressly specified therein, then the indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the indemnified party as a result of such loss, claim, damage or liability in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnified party and the indemnifying party, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act shall be entitled to contribution from any person not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. In no event shall the contribution obligation of a holder of Registrable Securities be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the proceeds received by it upon the sale of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such contribution obligation.
7. Miscellaneous.
(a) Amendments and Waivers. This Agreement may be amended only by a writing signed by the Company and the Required Investors. The Company may take any action herein prohibited, or omit to perform any act herein required to be performed by it, only if the Company shall have obtained the written consent to such amendment, action or omission to act, of the Required Investors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may not be amended and the observance of any term hereof may not be waived with respect to any Investor without the written consent of such Investor, unless such amendment or waiver applies to all Investors in the same fashion.
(b) Notices. All notices and other communications provided for or permitted hereunder shall be made as set forth in Section 9.4 of the Purchase Agreement.
(c) Assignments and Transfers by Investors. The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Investors and their respective successors and assigns. An Investor may transfer or assign, in whole or from time to time in part, to one or more persons its rights hereunder in connection with the transfer of Registrable Securities by such Investor to such person, provided that (i) the Investor agrees in writing with the transferee or assignee to assign such rights and a copy of such agreement is furnished to the Company within a reasonable time after such assignment; (ii) the Company is, within a reasonable time after such transfer or assignment, furnished with written notice of (A) the name and address of such transferee or assignee and (B) the securities with respect to which such registration rights are being transferred or assigned; (iii) immediately following such transfer or assignment the further disposition of such securities by the transferee or assignee is restricted under the 1933 Act or applicable state securities laws; (iv) at or before the time the Company receives the written notice contemplated by clause (ii) of this sentence the transferee or assignee agrees in writing with the Company to be bound by all of the provisions contained herein and (v) such transfer shall have been made in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Purchase Agreement.
(d) Assignments and Transfers by the Company. This Agreement may not be assigned by the Company (whether by operation of law or otherwise) without the prior written consent of the Required Investors, provided, however, that in the event that the Company is a party to a merger, consolidation, share exchange or similar business combination transaction in which the Common Shares are converted into the equity securities of another Person, from and after the effective time of such transaction, such Person shall, by virtue of such transaction, be deemed to have assumed the obligations of the Company hereunder, the term Company shall be deemed to refer to such Person and the term Registrable Securities shall be deemed to include the securities received by the Investors in connection with such transaction unless such securities are otherwise freely tradable by the Investors after giving effect to such transaction.
(e) Benefits of the Agreement. The terms and conditions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective permitted successors and assigns of the parties. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and assigns any rights, remedies, obligations, or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement.
(f) Counterparts; Faxes. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. This Agreement may also be executed via facsimile or e-mail, which shall be deemed an original.
(g) Titles and Subtitles. The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are used for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement.
(h) Severability. Any provision of this Agreement that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof but shall be interpreted as if it were written so as to be enforceable to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the parties hereby waive any provision of law which renders any provisions hereof prohibited or unenforceable in any respect.
(i) Further Assurances. The parties shall execute and deliver all such further instruments and documents and take all such other actions as may reasonably be required to carry out the transactions contemplated hereby and to evidence the fulfillment of the agreements herein contained.
(j) Entire Agreement. This Agreement is intended by the parties as a final expression of their agreement and intended to be a complete and exclusive statement of the agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of the subject matter contained herein. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings between the parties with respect to such subject matter.
(k) Governing Law; Consent to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York without regard to the choice of law principles thereof (other than sections 5-1401 and 5-1402 of the General Obligations Law). Each of the parties hereto irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York located in New York County and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York for the purpose of any suit, action, proceeding or judgment relating to or arising out of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. Service of process in connection with any such suit, action or proceeding may be served on each party hereto anywhere in the world by the same methods as are specified for the giving of notices under this Agreement. Each of the parties hereto irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction of any such court in any such suit, action or proceeding and to the laying of venue in such court. Each party hereto irrevocably waives any objection to the laying of venue of any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such courts and irrevocably waives any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO REQUEST A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LITIGATION WITH RESPECT TO THIS AGREEMENT AND REPRESENTS THAT COUNSEL HAS BEEN CONSULTED SPECIFICALLY AS TO THIS WAIVER.
(l) Filing Restrictions. The Company will register the resale of Registrable Securities representing Cut Back Shares on an effective Registration Statement prior to or concurrent with registering the resale of its securities by a selling security holder not holding Registrable Securities; provided, however, that this Section 7(l) shall not apply to Registrable Securities representing Cut Back Shares that were excluded from any such Registration Statement on account of the failure of a holder of such Registrable Securities to comply with the provisions hereof, including, but not limited to, the requirement of a holder to provide information required to be included in a Registration Statement.
[remainder of page intentionally left blank]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement or caused their duly authorized officers to execute this Agreement as of the date first above written.
COMPANY: | MERUS N.V. | |||||||
By: | ||||||||
Name: Ton Logtenberg | ||||||||
Title: Chief Executive Officer |
[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement for Merus N.V.]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement or caused their duly authorized officers to execute this Agreement as of the date first above written.
INVESTOR:
BIOTECHNOLOGY VALUE FUND, L.P. | ||
By: |
| |
Name: Mark Lampert | ||
Title: President BVF Inc., General Partner of BVF Partners L.P., itself GP of Biotechnology Value Fund, L.P. | ||
Address: | ||
|
1 Sansome Street #30 | |
San Francisco, CA 94104 |
BIOTECHNOLOGY VALUE FUND II, LP | ||
By: |
| |
Name: Mark Lampert | ||
Title: President BVF Inc., General Partner of BVF Partners L.P., itself GP of Biotechnology Value Fund II, L.P. | ||
Address: | ||
|
1 Sansome Street #30 | |
San Francisco, CA 94104 |
BIOTECHNOLOGY VALUE TRADING FUND OS, L.P. | ||
By: |
| |
Name: Mark Lampert | ||
Title: President BVF Inc., General Partner of BVF Partners L.P., itself sole member of BVF Partners OS Ltd., itself GP of Biotechnology Trading Fund OS, L.P. | ||
Address: | ||
|
PO Box 309 Ugland House, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104, Cayman Islands |
[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement for Merus N.V.]
INVESTMENT 10, LLC | ||
By: |
| |
Name: Mark Lampert | ||
Title: President BVF Inc., General Partner of BVF Partners L.P., itself investment advisor of Investment 10, LLC | ||
Address: | ||
|
90 N Michigan Ave Suite 1100 | |
Chicago, IL 60611 |
MSI BVF SPV, L.L.C. | ||
c/o Magnitude Capital | ||
By: |
| |
Name: Mark Lampert | ||
Title: President BVF Inc., itself General Partner of BVF Partners L.P., itself attorney-in-fact for MSI BVF SPV, L.L.C. | ||
Address: | ||
|
200 Park Avenue, 56th Floor | |
New York, NY 10166 |
[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement for Merus N.V.]
EXHIBIT C
Form of Deed of Issue
Draft dated February 2018
DEED OF ISSUE
MERUS N.V.
THIS DEED IS ENTERED INTO ON [Date], 2018 BY
Merus N.V., a public company with limited liability, with trade register number 30189136 (the Company).
NOW HEREBY AGREES AS FOLLOWS
1 | DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION | |||
1.1 | Definitions | |||
1.1.1 | In this Deed the following definitions shall apply: | |||
Deed | This deed of issue. | |||
Investors | The investors listed in Exhibit A to the Securities Purchase Agreement. | |||
Issue Price | The aggregate issue price for the Shares, being USD [50,000,000]. | |||
Resolutions | The written resolution of the Companys board of directors, dated [date], 2018. | |||
Securities Purchase Agreement | That certain Securities Purchase Agreement among the Company and the Investors, dated [date], 2018. | |||
Shares | [number] common shares in the Companys capital, having a nominal value of EUR 0.09 each. | |||
Transfer Agent | American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, a limited liability company under the laws of the State of New York, United States of America, in its capacity of the Companys transfer agent. | |||
1.2 | Interpretation | |||
1.2.1 | Terms that are defined in the singular have a corresponding meaning in the plural and vice versa. |
1
1.2.2 | Although this Deed has been drafted in the English language, this Deed pertains to Dutch legal concepts. Any consequence of the use of English words and expressions in this Deed under any law other than Dutch law shall be disregarded. |
1.2.3 | The titles and headings in this Deed are for construction purposes as well as for reference. No party may derive any rights from such titles and headings. |
2 | ISSUANCE |
2.1 | Issuance of Shares |
2.1.1 | In giving effect to the Resolution and the Companys obligations under the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Company issues the Shares to the Transfer Agent for delivery to the respective Investors as specified in Exhibit A to the Securities Purchase Agreement. |
2.1.2 | Upon the Shares being delivered to the respective Investors, the Transfer Agent shall be considered to have accepted the Shares. |
2.2 | Payment |
2.2.1 | The Issue Price has been satisfied in accordance with the terms of the Securities Purchase Agreement and the Company grants a discharge for the payment thereof. |
2.2.2 | The Company approves payment of the Issue Price in a currency other than euro. |
2.2.3 | To the extent that the Issue Price exceeds the aggregate nominal value of the Shares, such excess shall be considered to be share premium and shall added to the share premium reserve attached to the common shares in the Companys capital. |
2.3 | Registration |
2.3.1 | Promptly following the execution of this Deed, the Company shall (i) register the present issuance of the Shares in its register within the meaning of Section 2:85 of the Dutch Civil Code and (ii) cause the Transfer Agent to register the Shares in the register maintained by the Transfer Agent in respect of the common shares in the Companys capital. |
3 | MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS |
3.1 | No rescission or nullification |
2
3.1.1 | To the extent permitted by law, the Company waives its rights to rescind or nullify or to demand the rescission, nullification or amendment of this Deed, in whole or in part, on any grounds whatsoever. |
3.2 | Governing law |
3.2.1 | Without prejudice to the relevant provisions of Chapters 4 and 5 of Title 10 of Book 10 of the Dutch Civil Code, this Deed shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Netherlands. |
3.3 | Jurisdiction |
3.3.1 | Any dispute in connection with this Deed shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent court in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. |
(signature page follows)
3
Signature page to the deed of issue | ||
Merus N.V. | ||
Name | : Ton Logtenberg | |
Title | : Chief Executive Officer |
APPENDIX I
Form of Investor Questionnaire
APPENDIX I
INVESTOR QUESTIONNAIRE
To: Merus N.V.
This Investor Questionnaire (Questionnaire) must be completed by each potential investor in connection with the offer and sale of the common shares, nominal value 0.09 per share (the Securities), of Merus N.V., a public company with limited liability (naamloze vennootschap) incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands (the Corporation). The Securities are being offered and sold by the Corporation in the United States without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and the securities laws of certain states, in reliance on the exemptions contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and on Regulation D promulgated thereunder and in reliance on similar exemptions under applicable state laws. The Corporation must determine that a potential investor meets certain suitability requirements before offering or selling the Securities to such investor. The purpose of this Questionnaire is to assure the Corporation that each investor will meet the applicable suitability requirements. The information supplied by you will be used in determining whether you meet such criteria, and reliance upon the private offering exemptions from registration is based in part on the information herein supplied.
This Questionnaire does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. By signing this Questionnaire, you will be authorizing the Corporation to provide a completed copy of this Questionnaire to such parties as the Corporation deems appropriate in order to ensure that the offer and sale of the Securities will not result in a violation of the Securities Act or the securities laws of any state and that you otherwise satisfy the suitability standards applicable to purchasers of the Securities. All potential investors must answer all applicable questions and complete, date and sign this Questionnaire. Please print or type your responses and attach additional sheets of paper if necessary to complete your answers to any item.
PART A. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Name of Beneficial Owner of the Securities:
Business Address:
(Number and Street)
City: State: Zip Code:
Telephone Number:
If a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other entity:
Type of entity:
Country/State of formation: Approximate Date of formation:
Were you formed for the purpose of investing in the securities being offered? Yes ☐ No ☐
If an individual:
Residence Address:
(Number and Street)
City: State: Zip Code:
Telephone Number:
Age: Citizenship: Where registered to vote:
Set forth in the space provided below the state(s), if any, in the United States in which you maintained your residence during the past two years and the dates during which you resided in each state:
Are you a director or executive officer of the Corporation? Yes ☐ No ☐
Social Security or Taxpayer Identification No.:
PART B. ACCREDITED INVESTOR QUESTIONNAIRE
In order for the Corporation to offer and sell the Securities in conformance with state and federal securities laws, the following information must be obtained regarding your investor status. Please initial each category applicable to you as a purchaser of Securities of the Corporation.
☐ | (1) | A bank as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act, or any savings and loan association or other institution as defined in Section 3(a)(5)(A) of the Securities Act whether acting in its individual or fiduciary capacity; | ||||
☐ | (2) | A broker or dealer registered pursuant to Section 15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act); | ||||
☐ | (3) | An insurance company as defined in Section 2(a)(13) of the Securities Act; | ||||
☐ | (4) | An investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or a business development company as defined in Section 2(a)(48) of that act; | ||||
☐ | (5) | A Small Business Investment Company licensed by the U.S. Small Business Administration under Section 301(c) or (d) of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958; | ||||
☐ | (6) | A plan established and maintained by a state, its political subdivisions, or any agency or instrumentality of a state or its political subdivisions, for the benefit of its employees, if such plan has total assets in excess of $5,000,000; | ||||
☐ | (7) | An employee benefit plan within the meaning of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, if the investment decision is made by a plan fiduciary, as defined in Section 3(21) of such act, which is either a bank, savings and loan association, insurance company or registered investment adviser, or if the employee benefit plan has total assets in excess of $5,000,000 or, if a self-directed plan, with investment decisions made solely by persons that are accredited investors; | ||||
☐ | (8) | A private business development company as defined in Section 202(a)(22) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940; | ||||
☐ | (9) | An organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, a corporation, Massachusetts or similar business trust, or partnership, not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the Securities, with total assets in excess of $5,000,000; | ||||
☐ | (10) | A trust, with total assets in excess of $5,000,000, not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the Securities, whose purchase is directed by a sophisticated person who has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that such person is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of investing in the Corporation; |
☐ | (11) | A natural person whose individual net worth, or joint net worth with that persons spouse, at the time of his purchase exceeds $1,000,000 (exclusive of the value of that persons primary residence); | ||||
☐ | (12) | A natural person who had an individual income in excess of $200,000 in each of the two most recent years, or joint income with that persons spouse in excess of $300,000, in each of those years, and has a reasonable expectation of reaching the same income level in the current year; | ||||
☐ | (13) | An executive officer or director of the Corporation; | ||||
☐ | (14) | An entity in which all of the equity owners qualify under any of the above subparagraphs. If the undersigned belongs to this investor category only, list the equity owners of the undersigned, and the investor category which each such equity owner satisfies. |
PART C. BAD ACTOR QUESTIONNAIRE | ||||||||
1. | During the past ten years, have you been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor that is related to any securities matter? | |||||||
Yes | ☐ | (If yes, please continue to Question 1.a) | ||||||
No | ☐ | (If no, please continue to Question 2) | ||||||
a) | If your answer to Question 1 was yes, was the conviction related to: (i) the purchase or sale of any security; (ii) the making of any false filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC); or (iii) the conduct of an underwriter, broker, dealer, municipal securities dealer, investment adviser or paid solicitor of purchasers of securities? | |||||||
Yes ☐ No ☐ | ||||||||
2. | Are you subject to any court injunction or restraining order entered during the past five years that is related to any securities matter? | |||||||
Yes | ☐ | (If yes, please continue to Question 2.a) | ||||||
No | ☐ | (If no, please continue to Question 3) | ||||||
a) | If your answer to Question 2 was yes, does the court injunction or restraining order currently restrain or enjoin you from engaging or continuing to engage in any conduct or practice related to: (i) the purchase or sale of any security; (ii) the making of any false filing with the SEC; or (iii) the conduct of an underwriter, broker, dealer, municipal securities dealer, investment adviser or paid solicitor of purchasers of securities? | |||||||
Yes ☐ No ☐ |
3. | Are you subject to any final order1 of any governmental commission, authority, agency or officer2 (2) related to any securities, insurance or banking matter? | |||||||
Yes | ☐ | (If yes, please continue to Question 3.a) | ||||||
No | ☐ | (If no, please continue to Question 4) | ||||||
a) | If your answer to Question 3 was yes: | |||||||
i) | Does the order currently bar you from: (i) associating with an entity regulated by such commission, authority, agency or officer; (ii) engaging in the business of securities, insurance or banking; or (iii) engaging in savings association or credit union activities? | |||||||
Yes ☐ No ☐ | ||||||||
ii) | Was the order (i) entered within the past ten years and (ii) based on a violation of any law or regulation that prohibits fraudulent, manipulative or deceptive conduct? | |||||||
Yes ☐ No ☐ | ||||||||
4. | Are you subject to any SEC disciplinary order?3 (3) | |||||||
Yes | ☐ | (If yes, please continue to Question 4.a) | ||||||
No | ☐ | (If no, please continue to Question 5) | ||||||
a) | If your answer to Question 4 was yes, does the order currently: (i) suspend or revoke your registration as a broker, dealer, municipal securities dealer or investment adviser; (ii) place limitations on your activities, functions or operations; or (iii) bar you from being associated with any particular entity or class of entities or from participating in the offering of any penny stock? | |||||||
5. | Are you subject to any SEC cease and desist order entered within the past five years? | |||||||
Yes | ☐ | (If yes, please continue to Question 5.a) | ||||||
No | ☐ | (If no, please continue to Question 6) |
1 | A final order is defined under Rule 501(g) as a written directive or declaratory statement issued by a federal or state agency described in Rule 506(d)(1)(iii) under applicable statutory authority that provides for notice and an opportunity for a hearing, and that constitutes a final disposition or action by such federal or state agency. |
2 | You may limit your response to final orders of: (i) state securities commissions (or state agencies/officers that perform a similar function); (ii) state authorities that supervise or examine banks, savings associations or credit unions; (iii) state insurance commissions (or state agencies/officers that perform a similar function); (iv) federal banking agencies; (v) the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission; or (vi) the U.S. National Credit Union Administration. |
3 | You may limit your response to disciplinary orders issued pursuant to Sections 15(b) or 15B(c) of the Exchange Act or Section 203(e) or (f) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the Advisers Act). |
a) | If your answer to Question 5 was yes, does the order currently require you to cease and desist from committing or causing a violation or future violation of (i) any knowledge-based anti-fraud provision of the U.S. federal securities laws4 or (ii) Section 5 of the Securities Act? | |||||||
Yes ☐ No ☐ | ||||||||
6. | Have you been suspended or expelled from membership in, or suspended or barred from association with a member of, a registered national securities exchange or a registered national or affiliated securities association? | |||||||
Yes | ☐ | (If yes, please describe the basis of any such suspension or expulsion and any related details in the space provided under Question 10 below)5 | ||||||
No | ☐ | (If no, please continue to Question 7) | ||||||
7. | Have you registered a securities offering with the SEC, made an offering under Regulation A or been named as an underwriter in any registration statement or Regulation A offering statement filed with the SEC? | |||||||
Yes | ☐ | (If yes, please continue to Question 7.a) | ||||||
No | ☐ | (If no, please continue to Question 8) | ||||||
a) | If your answer to Question 7 was yes: | |||||||
i) | During the past five years, was any such registration statement or Regulation A offering statement the subject of a refusal order, stop order or order suspending the Regulation A exemption? | |||||||
Yes ☐ No ☐ | ||||||||
ii) | Is any such registration statement or Regulation A offering statement currently the subject of an investigation or proceeding to determine whether a stop order or suspension order should be issued? | |||||||
Yes ☐ No ☐ | ||||||||
8. | Are you subject to a U.S. Postal Service false representation order entered within the past five years? | |||||||
Yes ☐ No ☐ | ||||||||
9. | Are you currently subject to a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction with respect to conduct alleged by the U.S. Postal Service to constitute a scheme or device for obtaining money or property through the mail by means of false representations? | |||||||
Yes ☐ No ☐ | ||||||||
10. | In the space provided below, describe any facts or circumstances that caused you to answer yes to any Question (indicating the corresponding Question number). Attach additional pages if necessary. |
4 | Including (but not limited to) Section 17(a)(1) of the Securities Act, Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, Section 15(c)(1) of the Exchange Act, and Section 206(1) of the Advisers Act or any other rule or regulation thereunder. |
5 | In providing additional information, please explain whether or not the suspension or expulsion resulted from any act or omission to act constituting conduct inconsistent with just and equitable principles of trade. |
A. FOR EXECUTION BY AN INDIVIDUAL: | ||||||||
By: | ||||||||
Print Name: | ||||||||
Date | ||||||||
B. FOR EXECUTION BY AN ENTITY: | ||||||||
Entity Name: | ||||||||
By: | ||||||||
Print Name: | ||||||||
Title: | ||||||||
Date | ||||||||
C. ADDITIONAL SIGNATURES (if required by partnership, corporation or trust document): | ||||||||
Entity Name: | ||||||||
By: | ||||||||
Print Name: | ||||||||
Title: | ||||||||
Date | ||||||||
Entity Name: | ||||||||
By: | ||||||||
Print Name: | ||||||||
Title: | ||||||||
Date |
APPENDIX II
Form of Selling Shareholder Questionnaire
APPENDIX II
SELLING SHAREHOLDER NOTICE AND QUESTIONNAIRE
|
Name of Selling Shareholder (please print) |
MERUS N.V.
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR SELLING SHAREHOLDERS
IMPORTANT: IMMEDIATE ATTENTION REQUIRED
This Questionnaire is being furnished to all persons or entities (the Investors) electing to purchase common shares, nominal value 0.09 per share (Common Shares), of Merus N.V., a public company with limited liability (naamloze vennootschap) incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands (the Company) pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement by and among the Company and the Investors (the Purchase Agreement) to which this Questionnaire is an Appendix. This Questionnaire relates to certain information required to be disclosed in the registration statement (the Registration Statement) to be prepared by the Company for filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement entered into by and among the Company and the Investors (the Registration Rights Agreement) in connection with the Purchase Agreement. The Company must receive a completed Questionnaire from each Investor in order to include such Investors Common Shares in the Registration Statement.
The furnishing of accurate and complete responses to the questions posed in this Questionnaire is an extremely important part of the registration process. The inclusion of inaccurate or incomplete disclosures in the Registration Statement can result in potential liabilities, both civil and criminal, to the Company and to the individuals who furnish the information. Accordingly, Investors are advised to consult their own securities law counsel regarding the consequences of being named or not being named as a selling securityholder in the Registration Statement and related prospectus.
PLEASE GIVE A RESPONSE TO EVERY QUESTION, indicating None or Not Applicable where appropriate. Please complete, sign, and return one copy of this Questionnaire by facsimile, email or overnight courier as soon as possible.
Latham & Watkins LLP 200 Clarendon Street, 27th Floor Boston, MA 02116 Attn: Jennifer Yoon Fax: (617) 948-6001 jennifer.yoon@lw.com |
Unless stated otherwise, answers should be given as of the date you complete this Questionnaire. However, it is your responsibility to inform us of any changes that may occur to your situation. If there is any situation about which you have any doubt, or if you are uncertain as to the meaning of any terms used in this Questionnaire, please contact Jennifer Yoon at (617) 880-4540 or jennifer.yoon@lw.com.
PART I - SHARE OWNERSHIP
Item 1. Beneficial Ownership.
a. Deemed Beneficial Ownership. Please state the amount of securities of the Company you own on the date you complete this Questionnaire. (If none, please so state in each case.)
Amount Beneficially Owned1 |
Number of Common Shares Owned | |||
Please state the number of shares owned by you or by family members, trusts and other organizations with which you have a relationship, and any other shares of which you may be deemed to be the beneficial owner1: |
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Total Shares: |
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Of such shares: |
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Shares as to which you have sole voting power: |
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Shares as to which you have shared voting power: |
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Shares as to which you have sole investment power: |
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Shares as to which you have shared investment power: |
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Shares which you will have a right to acquire before 60 days after the date you complete this questionnaire through the exercise of options, warrants or otherwise: |
Do you have any present plans to exercise options, warrants or otherwise acquire, dispose of or to transfer Common Shares of the Company between the date you complete this Questionnaire and the date which is 60 days after the date in which the Registration Statement is filed?
Answer:
If so, please describe.
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b. Pledged Securities. If any of such securities have been pledged or otherwise deposited as collateral or are the subject matter of any voting trust or other similar agreement or of any contract providing for the sale or other disposition of such securities, please give the details thereof.
Answer:
c. Disclaimer of Beneficial Ownership. Do you wish to disclaim beneficial ownership1 of any of the shares reported in response to Item 1(a)?
Answer:
If the answer is Yes, please furnish the following information with respect to the person or persons who should be shown as the beneficial owner(s)1 of the shares in question.
Name and Address of Actual Beneficial Owner |
Relationship of Such Person To You |
Number of Shares Beneficially Owned |
d. Shared Voting or Investment Power over Securities. Will any person be deemed to have beneficial ownership over any of the Securities purchased by you pursuant to the Purchase Agreement?
Answer:
If the answer is Yes, please furnish the following information with respect to the person or persons who should be shown as the beneficial owner(s)1 of the Securities in question.
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner |
Relationship of Such Person To You |
Number of Shares Beneficially Owned |
Item 2. Major Shareholders. Please state below the names of persons or groups known by you to own beneficially1 more than 5% of the Companys Common Shares.
Answer:
Item 3. Change of Control. Do you know of any contractual arrangements, including any pledge of securities of the Company, the operation of which may at a subsequent date result in a change of control of the Company?
Answer:
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Item 4. Relationship with the Company. Please state the nature of any position, office or other material relationship you have, or have had within the past three years, with the Company or its affiliates.
Name |
Nature of Relationship |
Item 5. Broker-Dealer Status. Is the Investor a broker-dealer registered pursuant to Section 15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act)?
☐ | Yes. |
☐ | No. |
If so, please answer the remaining questions under this Item 5.
Note that the Company will be required to identify any registered broker-dealer as an underwriter in the Registration Statement and related prospectus.
a. If the Investor is a registered broker-dealer, please indicate whether the Investor purchased its Common Shares for investment or acquired them as transaction-based compensation for investment banking or similar services.
Answer:
Note that if the Investor is a registered broker-dealer and received its Common Shares other than as transaction-based compensation, the Company is required to identify the Investor as an underwriter in the Registration Statement and related prospectus.
b. Is the Investor an affiliate of a registered broker-dealer? For purposes of this Question, an affiliate of a specified person or entity means a person or entity that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the person or entity specified.
☐ | Yes. |
☐ | No. |
If so, please answer questions (i)-(iii) below under this Item 5(b).
i. Please describe the affiliation between the Investor and any registered broker-dealers:
ii. If the Common Shares were received by the Investor other than in the ordinary course of business, please describe the circumstances:
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iii. If the Investor, at the time of its receipt of Common Shares, has had any agreements or understandings, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the Common Shares, please describe such agreements or understandings:
Note that if the Investor is an affiliate of a broker-dealer and did not receive its Common Shares in the ordinary course of business or at the time of receipt had any agreements or understandings, directly or indirectly, to distribute the securities, the Company must identify the Investor as an underwriter in the Registration Statement and related prospectus.
Item 6. Nature of Beneficial Holding. The purpose of this question is to identify the ultimate natural person(s) or publicly held entity that exercise(s) sole or shared voting or dispositive power over the Registrable Securities (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement).
a. Is the Investor a natural person?
☐ | Yes. |
☐ | No. |
b. Is the Investor required to file, or is it a wholly owned subsidiary of a company that is required to file, periodic and other reports (for example, Form 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K) with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act?
☐ | Yes. |
☐ | No. |
c. Is the Investor an investment company, or a subsidiary of an investment company, registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended?
☐ | Yes. |
☐ | No. |
If a subsidiary, please identify the publicly held parent entity:
d. If you answered no to questions (a), (b) and (c) above, please identify the controlling person(s) of the Investor (the Controlling Entity). If the Controlling Entity is not a natural person or a publicly held entity, please identify each controlling person(s) of such Controlling Entity. This process should be repeated until you reach natural persons or a publicly held entity that exercises sole or shared voting or dispositive power over the Registrable Securities:
***PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SEC REQUIRES THAT THESE NATURAL PERSONS BE NAMED IN THE PROSPECTUS***
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PART II CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS
Item 7. Transactions with the Company. If you, any of your associates2, or any member of your immediate family3 had or will have any direct or indirect material interest in any transactions4 or series of transactions to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries was a party at any time since January 1, 2015, or in any currently proposed transactions or series of transactions in which the Company or any of its subsidiaries will be a party, in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000, please specify (a) the names of the parties to the transaction(s) and their relationship to you, (b) the nature of the interest in the transaction, (c) the amount involved in the transaction, and (d) the amount of the interest in the transaction. If the answer is none, please so state.
Answer:
Item 8. Third Party Payments. Please describe any compensation paid to you by a third party pursuant to any arrangement between the Company and any such third party.
Answer:
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PART III PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
The selling shareholders and any of their pledgees, donees, transferees, assignees or other successors-in-interest may, from time to time, sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any or all of their common shares or interests in the common shares on any exchange, market or trading facility on which the shares are traded or in private transactions. These dispositions may be at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market price, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. The selling shareholders may use one or more of the following methods when disposing of the shares or interests therein:
| ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers; |
| block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the shares as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; |
| through brokers, dealers or underwriters that may act solely as agents; |
| purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account; |
| an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange; |
| privately negotiated transactions; |
| through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions entered into after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, whether through an options exchange or otherwise; |
| broker-dealers may agree with the selling shareholders to sell a specified number of such shares at a stipulated price per share; |
| a combination of any such methods of disposition; and |
| any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law. |
The selling shareholders may also sell shares under Rule 144 or Rule 904 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Securities Act, if available, or Section 4(a)(1) under the Securities Act, rather than under this prospectus.
Broker-dealers engaged by the selling shareholders may arrange for other broker-dealers to participate in sales. Broker-dealers may receive commissions or discounts from the selling shareholders (or, if any broker-dealer acts as agent for the purchaser of shares, from the purchaser) in amounts to be negotiated. The selling shareholders do not expect these commissions and discounts to exceed what is customary in the types of transactions involved.
The selling shareholders may, from time to time, pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of the common shares owned by them and, if they default in the performance of their secured obligations, the pledgees or secured parties may offer and sell common shares from time to time under this prospectus, or under a supplement or amendment to this prospectus under Rule 424(b)(3) or other applicable provision of the Securities Act amending the list of selling shareholders to include the pledgee, transferee or other successors in interest as selling shareholders under this prospectus.
Upon being notified in writing by a selling shareholder that any material arrangement has been entered into with a broker-dealer for the sale of common shares through a block trade, special offering, exchange distribution or secondary distribution or a purchase by a broker or dealer, we will file a supplement to this prospectus, if required, pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, disclosing (i) the name of each such selling shareholder and of the participating broker-dealer(s), (ii) the number of shares involved, (iii) the price at which such common shares were sold, (iv) the commissions paid or discounts or concessions allowed to such broker-dealer(s), where applicable, (v) that such broker-dealer(s) did not conduct any investigation to verify the information set out or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and (vi) other facts material to the transaction. In addition, upon being notified in writing by a selling shareholder that a donee or pledgee intends to sell more than 500 common shares, we will file a supplement to this prospectus if then required in accordance with applicable securities law.
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The selling shareholders also may transfer the common shares in other circumstances, in which case the transferees, pledgees or other successors in interest will be the selling beneficial owners for purposes of this prospectus.
In connection with the sale of the common shares or interests in common shares, the selling shareholders may enter into hedging transactions after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of the common shares in the course of hedging the positions they assume. The selling shareholders may also sell common shares short after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and deliver these securities to close out their short positions, or loan or pledge the common shares to broker-dealers that in turn may sell these securities. The selling shareholders may also enter into option or other transactions after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or the creation of one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of shares offered by this prospectus, which shares such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction).
The selling shareholders and any broker-dealers or agents that are involved in selling the shares may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. In such event, any commissions received by such broker-dealers or agents and any profit on the resale of the shares purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. The maximum commission or discount to be received by any member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) or independent broker-dealer will not be greater than 8% of the initial gross proceeds from the sale of any security being sold.
We have advised the selling shareholders that they are required to comply with Regulation M promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, during such time as they may be engaged in a distribution of the shares. The foregoing may affect the marketability of the common shares.
The aggregate proceeds to the selling shareholders from the sale of the common shares offered by them will be the purchase price of the common shares less discounts or commissions, if any. Each of the selling shareholders reserves the right to accept and, together with their agents from time to time, to reject, in whole or in part, any proposed purchase of common shares to be made directly or through agents. We will not receive any of the proceeds from this offering.
We are required to pay all fees and expenses incident to the registration of the shares. We have agreed to indemnify the selling shareholders against certain losses, claims, damages and liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act or otherwise.
We have agreed with the selling shareholders to keep the registration statement of which this prospectus constitutes a part effective until the earlier of (a) such time as all of the shares covered by this prospectus have been disposed of pursuant to and in accordance with the registration statement, (b) such time as all of the shares covered by this prospectus have been previously sold or transferred in accordance with Rule 144 of the Securities Act, or (c) the date on which the common shares covered by this prospectus may be sold or transferred by non-affiliates without any volume or manner-of-sale restrictions and without current public information limitations pursuant to Rule 144 of the Securities Act.
* * *
The undersigned has reviewed the form of Plan of Distribution set forth above and does not have a present intention of effecting a sale in a manner not described therein.
Agree Disagree
(If left blank, response will be deemed to be Agree.)
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The undersigned hereby represents that the undersigned understands, pursuant to Interpretation A.65 in the Securities and Exchange Commission, Division of Corporation Finance, Manual of Publicly Available Telephone Interpretations dated July 1997, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 1, that the undersigned may not make any short sale of the Common Shares prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and further covenants to the Company that the undersigned will not engage in any short sales of such shares to be registered under the Registration Statement prior to its effectiveness.
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SIGNATURE
The undersigned understands that the Company anticipates filing the Registration Statement within the time frame set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement. If at any time any of the information set forth in the responses to this Questionnaire has materially changed due to passage of time (other than due to the receipt of the Common Shares set forth opposite the undersigneds name in the Schedule of Investors in the Purchase Agreement), or any development occurs which requires a change in any of the answers, or has for any other reason become incorrect, the undersigned agrees to furnish as soon as practicable to the individual to whom a copy of this Questionnaire is to be sent, as indicated and at the address shown on the first page hereof, any necessary or appropriate correcting information. Otherwise, the Company is to understand that the above information continues to be, to the best of the undersigneds knowledge, information and belief, complete and correct.
Upon any sale of Common Shares pursuant to the Registration Statement, the undersigned hereby agrees to deliver to the Company and the Companys transfer agent the Certificate of Subsequent Sale set forth in Exhibit I hereto.
The undersigned understands that the information that the undersigned is furnishing to the Company herein will be used by the Company in the preparation of the Registration Statement.
Name of Investor: | ||||||
Date: , 2018 | Signature: | |||||
Print Name: | ||||||
Title (if applicable): | ||||||
Address: | ||||||
Street | ||||||
Street | ||||||
City State Zip Code | ||||||
Telephone Number | ||||||
Email Address |
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FOOTNOTES
1. | Beneficial Ownership. You are the beneficial owner of a security, as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act), if you, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise have or share: (1) voting power, which includes the power to vote, or to direct the voting of, such security, and/or (2) investment power, which includes the power to dispose, or to direct the disposition of, such security. You are also the beneficial owner of a security if you, directly or indirectly, create or use a trust, proxy, power of attorney, pooling arrangement or any other contract, arrangement or device with the purpose or effect of divesting yourself of beneficial ownership of a security or preventing the vesting of such beneficial ownership. |
You are deemed to be the beneficial owner of a security if you have the right to acquire beneficial ownership of such security at any time within 60 days including, but not limited to, any right to acquire such security (a) through the exercise of any option, warrant or right, (b) through the conversion of a security, or (c) pursuant to the automatic termination of, or the power to revoke a trust, discretionary account, or similar arrangement.
Ordinarily, shares held in the name of your spouse or minor child should be considered as beneficially owned by you absent special circumstances to indicate that you do not have, as a practical matter, voting power or investment power over such shares. Similarly, absent countervailing facts, securities held in the name of relatives who share your home are to be reported as being beneficially owned by you. In addition, securities held for your benefit in the name of others, such as nominees, trustees and other fiduciaries, securities held by a partnership of which you are a partner, and securities held by a corporation controlled by you should be regarded as beneficially owned by you.
This definition of beneficial ownership is very broad; therefore, even though you may not actually have or share voting or investment power with respect to securities owned by persons in your family or living in your home, you should include such shares in your beneficial ownership disclosure and may then disclaim beneficial ownership of such securities.
2. | Associate. The term associate, as defined in Rule 14a-1 under the Exchange Act, means (a) any corporation or organization (other than the Company or any of its majority owned subsidiaries) of which you are an officer or partner or are, directly or indirectly, the beneficial owner of 10% or more of any class of equity securities, (b) any trust or other estate in which you have a substantial beneficial interest or as to which you serve as trustee or in a similar capacity, and (c) your spouse, or any relative of yours or relative of your spouse living in your home or who is a director or officer of the Company or of any subsidiary. The term relative of yours as used in this Questionnaire refers to any relative or spouse of yours, or any relative of such spouse, who has the same home as you or who is a director or officer of any subsidiary of the Company. |
Please identify your associate referred to in your answer and indicate your relationship.
3. | Immediate Family. The members of your immediate family are deemed to include the following: your spouse; your parents; your children; your siblings; your mother-in-law or father-in-law; your sons- and daughters-in-law; and your brothers- and sisters-in-law. |
4. | Transactions. The term transaction is to be understood in its broadest sense, and includes the direct or indirect receipt of anything of value. Please note that indirect as well as direct material interests in transactions are to be disclosed. Transactions in which you would have a direct interest would include your purchasing or leasing anything (shares in a business acquired by the Company, office space, plants, Company apartments, computers, raw materials, finished goods, etc.) from or selling or leasing anything to, or borrowing or lending cash or other property from or to, the Company, or any subsidiary. |
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Exhibit 1
Securities Act Sections Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations Section 239.10: An issuer filed a Form S-3 registration statement for a secondary offering of common stock which is not yet effective. One of the selling shareholders wanted to do a short sale of common stock against the box and cover the short sale with registered shares after the effective date. The issuer was advised that the short sale could not be made before the registration statement becomes effective, because the shares underlying the short sale are deemed to be sold at the time such sale is made. There would, therefore, be a violation of Section 5 if the shares were effectively sold prior to the effective date.
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Exhibit I
CERTIFICATE OF SUBSEQUENT SALE
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC
RE: | Sale of Common Shares of Merus N.V. (the Company) pursuant to the Companys Prospectus dated , (the Prospectus) |
Dear Sir/Madam:
The undersigned hereby certifies, in connection with the sale of Common Shares of the Company included in the table of Selling Shareholders in the Prospectus, that the undersigned has sold the shares pursuant to the Prospectus and in a manner described under the caption Plan of Distribution in the Prospectus and that such sale complies with all securities laws applicable to the undersigned, including, without limitation, the Prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Selling Shareholder (the beneficial owner): |
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Record Holder (e.g., if held in name of nominee): |
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Book Entry Position or Restricted Share Certificate No.(s): |
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Number of Shares Sold: |
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Date of Sale: |
In the event that you receive a share certificate(s) or evidence of a book entry position representing more Common Shares than have been sold by the undersigned, then you should return to the undersigned a newly issued certificate or book entry position for such excess shares in the name of the Record Holder and BEARING A RESTRICTIVE LEGEND. Further, you should place a stop transfer on your records with regard to such certificate. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the undersigned executes and delivers to you and to the Company the certification set forth on Annex I, upon instructions from the Company, you should return to the undersigned a newly issued certificate or book entry position for such excess Common Shares in the name of the Record Holder without any restrictive legend. In addition, no subsequent certification will be required to be delivered to you by the undersigned provided that the representations and warranties set forth on Annex I have been delivered to you and continue to be accurate.
Very truly yours, | ||||||
Dated: | By: | |||||
Print Name: | ||||||
Title: |
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cc: | Merus N.V. |
Yalelaan 62
3584 CM Utrecht
The Netherlands
Attn: Head of Legal U.S.
Head of Legal Europe
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Annex I
In connection with any excess shares to be returned to the Selling Shareholder upon a sale of Common Shares of Merus N.V. (the Company) included in the table of Selling Shareholders in the Prospectus, the undersigned hereby certifies to the Company and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, that:
1. In connection with the sale by the undersigned shareholder of any of the Common Shares, the undersigned shareholder will deliver a copy of the Prospectus included in the Registration Statement to the purchaser directly or through the undersigned shareholders broker-dealer in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
2. Any such sale will be made only in the manner described under Plan of Distribution in the Prospectus.
3. The undersigned shareholder will only sell the Common Shares while the Registration Statement is effective, unless another exemption from registration is available.
4. The Company and its attorneys may rely on this letter to the same extent as if it were addressed to them.
5. The undersigned shareholder agrees to notify you immediately of any development or occurrence which to his, her or its knowledge would render any of the foregoing representations and agreements inaccurate.
All terms not defined herein are as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement entered into in [ ], 2018 among the Company and the Investors.
Very truly yours, | ||||||
Dated: | By: | |||||
Print Name: | ||||||
Title: |
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Exhibit 99.2
Execution Version
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this Agreement) is made and entered into as of February 13, 2018 by and among Merus N.V., a public company with limited liability (naamloze vennootschap) incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands (the Company), and the Investors named in the Securities Purchase Agreement of even date herewith by and among the Company and the Investors identified on Exhibit A attached thereto (the Purchase Agreement). Capitalized terms used herein have the respective meanings ascribed thereto in the Purchase Agreement unless otherwise defined herein.
The parties hereby agree as follows:
1. Certain Definitions.
As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
Investors means the Investors identified in the Purchase Agreement and any Affiliate or permitted transferee of any such Investor who is a subsequent holder of Registrable Securities.
Prospectus means (i) the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement and by all other amendments and supplements to the prospectus, including post-effective amendments and all material incorporated by reference in such prospectus, and (ii) any free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act.
Register, registered and registration refer to a registration made by preparing and filing a Registration Statement or similar document in compliance with the 1933 Act, and the declaration or ordering of effectiveness of such Registration Statement or document.
Registrable Securities means (i) the Shares and (ii) any other Common Shares issued pursuant to a stock split, as a dividend or other distribution with respect to, in exchange for or in replacement of the Shares; provided, however, that any such Registrable Securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities (and the Company shall not be required to maintain the effectiveness of any, or file another, Registration Statement hereunder with respect thereto) upon the first to occur of (A) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale all of such Registrable Securities being declared effective by the SEC under the 1933 Act and such Registrable Securities having been disposed of or transferred by the holder thereof in accordance with such effective Registration Statement, (B) such Registrable Securities having been previously sold or transferred in accordance with Rule 144 (or another exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act), (C) such securities becoming eligible for resale without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions and without current public information requirements pursuant to Rule 144 and (D) the third anniversary of the Closing Date.
Registration Statement means any registration statement of the Company under the 1933 Act that covers the resale of any of the Registrable Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, amendments and supplements to such Registration Statement, including post-effective amendments, all exhibits and all material incorporated by reference in such Registration Statement.
Required Investors means the Investors holding a majority of the Registrable Securities outstanding from time to time.
SEC means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
SEC Guidance means (i) any publicly-available written or oral guidance of the SEC staff, or any comments, requirements or requests of the SEC staff and (ii) the 1933 Act.
2. Registration.
(a) Registration Statement.
(i) By May 15, 2018 (the Filing Deadline), the Company shall prepare and file with the SEC one Registration Statement covering the resale of all of the Registrable Securities which, for the avoidance of doubt, may also register the sale of primary securities. Subject to any SEC comments, such Registration Statement shall include the plan of distribution, substantially in the form and substance, set forth in Part III of each Investors Selling Stockholder Notice and Questionnaire. Such Registration Statement also shall cover, to the extent allowable under the 1933 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder (including Rule 416), such indeterminate number of additional Common Shares resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions with respect to the Registrable Securities. Upon request, such Registration Statement (and each amendment or supplement thereto, and each request for acceleration of effectiveness thereof) shall be provided in accordance with Section 3(c) to the Investors prior to its filing or other submission. If a Registration Statement covering the Registrable Securities is not filed with the SEC on or prior to the fifth Business Day following the Filing Deadline, at the election of each Investor, the Company will make pro rata payments to each electing Investor, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, in an amount equal to 1% of the aggregate amount paid pursuant to the Purchase Agreement by such Investor for such Registrable Securities then held by such Investor for each 30-day period or pro rata for any portion thereof following the Filing Deadline for which no Registration Statement is filed with respect to the Registrable Securities. For each Investor that elects to receive such liquidated damages, such payments shall constitute such Investors exclusive monetary remedy for such events, and shall be in addition to any other rights the Investors may have hereunder or under applicable law and shall not affect the right of the Investors to seek injunctive relief. Such payments shall be made to each electing Investor in cash no later than five (5) Business Days after the end of each 30-day period (the Payment Date). Interest shall accrue at the rate of 1% per month on any such liquidated damages payments that shall not be paid by the Payment Date until such amount is paid in full.
(ii) The Company shall take reasonable best efforts to register the Registrable Securities on Form F-3 following the date such form is available for use by the Company, provided that if at such time the Registration Statement is on Form F-1, the Company shall maintain the effectiveness of the Registration Statement then in effect until such time as a Registration Statement on Form F-3 covering the Registrable Securities has been declared effective by the SEC.
(b) Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses associated with each Registration Statement, including filing and printing fees, the Companys counsel and accounting fees and expenses, costs associated with clearing the Registrable Securities for sale under applicable state securities laws and listing fees, but excluding discounts, commissions, fees of underwriters, selling brokers, dealer managers or similar securities industry professionals with respect to the Registrable Securities being sold. Except as provided in Section 6 hereof, the Company shall not be responsible for legal fees incurred by holders of Registrable Securities in connection with the performance of its rights and obligations under the Transaction Documents.
(c) Effectiveness.
(i) The Company shall use reasonable best efforts to have the Registration Statements declared effective as soon as practicable. The Company shall notify the Investors by facsimile or e-mail as promptly as practicable, and in any event, within forty-eight (48) hours, after (x) the SEC notified the Company that it has no further comments to the Registration Statement and (y) any Registration Statement is declared effective, and shall simultaneously provide the Investors with access to a copy of any related Prospectus to be used in connection with the sale or other disposition of the securities covered thereby. Subject to Section 2(d), if (A) a Registration Statement covering the Registrable Securities is not declared effective by the SEC prior to the 120th day after the Closing Date (or the 150th day if the SEC reviews such Registration Statement) (the Effectiveness Deadline), or (B) after a Registration Statement has been declared effective by the SEC, sales cannot be made pursuant to such Registration Statement for any reason (including without limitation by reason of a stop order, or the Companys failure to update such Registration Statement), but excluding any Allowed Delay (as defined below) or, if the Registration Statement is on Form F-1, for a period of twenty (20) days following the date on which the Company files a post-effective amendment to incorporate the Companys Annual Report on Form 20-F (a Maintenance Failure), then, at the election of each Investor, the Company will make pro rata payments to each electing Investor then holding Registrable Securities, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, in an amount equal to 1% of the aggregate amount paid pursuant to the Purchase Agreement by such Investor for such Registrable Securities then held by such Investor for each 30-day period or pro rata for any portion thereof following the date by which such Registration Statement should have been effective (the Blackout Period). For each Investor that elects to receive liquidated damages, such payments shall constitute such Investors exclusive monetary remedy for such events and shall be in addition to any other rights the Investors may have hereunder or under applicable law and shall not affect the right of the Investors to seek injunctive relief. The amounts payable as liquidated damages pursuant to this paragraph shall be paid no later than five (5) Business Days after each such 30-day period following the commencement of the Blackout Period until the termination of the Blackout Period. Such payments shall be made to each electing Investor in cash. Interest shall accrue at the rate of 1% per month on any such liquidated damages payments that shall not be paid by the Blackout Payment Date until such amount is paid in full.
(ii) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company may, upon written notice to any holder of Registrable Securities included in a Registration Statement, suspend the use of any Registration Statement, including any Prospectus that forms a part of a Registration Statement, if the Company (X) determines that it would be required to make disclosure of material information in the Registration Statement that the
Company has a bona fide business purpose for preserving as confidential, (Y) the Company determines it must amend or supplement the Registration Statement or the related Prospectus so that such Registration Statement or Prospectus shall not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the case of the Prospectus in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (Z) the Company has experienced or is experiencing some other material non-public event, including a pending transaction involving the Company, the disclosure of which at such time, in the good faith judgment of the Company, would adversely affect the Company; provided, however, in no event shall holders of Registrable Securities be suspended from selling Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement for a period that exceeds 120 calendar days (which need not be consecutive) in any 360-day period (any such suspension contemplated by this Section 2(c)(ii), an Allowed Delay). Upon disclosure of such information or the termination of the condition described above, the Company shall provide prompt notice to holders whose Registrable Securities are included in the Registration Statement, and shall promptly terminate any suspension of sales it has put into effect and shall take such other reasonable actions to permit registered sales of Registrable Securities as contemplated hereby.
(d) Rule 415; Cutback. If at any time the SEC takes the position that the offering of some or all of the Registrable Securities in a Registration Statement is not eligible to be made on a delayed or continuous basis under the provisions of Rule 415 under the 1933 Act (provided, however, the Company shall be obligated to use diligent efforts to advocate with the SEC for the registration of all of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the SEC Guidance, including without limitation, Compliance and Disclosure Interpretation 612.09) or requires any Investor to be named as an underwriter, the Company shall (i) promptly notify each holder of Registrable Securities thereof and (ii) make reasonable best efforts to persuade the SEC that the offering contemplated by such Registration Statement is a valid secondary offering and not an offering by or on behalf of the issuer as defined in Rule 415 and that none of the Investors is an underwriter. The Investors shall have the right to select one legal counsel designated by the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities to review and oversee any registration or matters pursuant to this Section 2(d), including participation in any meetings or discussions with the SEC regarding the SECs position and to comment on any written submission made to the SEC with respect thereto. No such written submission with respect to this matter shall be made to the SEC to which the Investors counsel reasonably objects. In the event that, despite the Companys reasonable best efforts and compliance with the terms of this Section 2(d), the SEC refuses to alter its position, the Company shall (i) remove from such Registration Statement such portion of the Registrable Securities (the Cut Back Shares) and/or (ii) agree to such restrictions and limitations on the registration and resale of the Registrable Securities as the SEC may require to assure the Companys compliance with the requirements of Rule 415 (collectively, the SEC Restrictions); provided, however, that the Company shall not agree to name any Investor as an underwriter in such Registration Statement without the prior written consent of such Investor. In the event of a cutback hereunder, the Company shall give the Investor at least five (5) Business Days prior written notice along with the calculations as to such Investors allotment. Any cut-back imposed on the Investors pursuant to this Section 2(d) shall be allocated among the Investors on a pro rata basis and shall be applied first to any of the Registrable Securities of such Investor as such Investor shall designate, unless the SEC Restrictions otherwise require or provide or the Investors otherwise agree. No liquidated damages shall accrue as to any Cut Back Shares until such date as the Company is able to effect the registration of such Cut Back Shares in accordance with any SEC
Restrictions applicable to such Cut Back Shares (such date, the Restriction Termination Date). In furtherance of the foregoing, each Investor shall provide the Company with prompt written notice of its sale of substantially all of the Registrable Securities under such Registration Statement such that the Company will be able to file one or more additional Registration Statements covering the Cut Back Shares. From and after the Restriction Termination Date applicable to any Cut Back Shares, all of the provisions of this Section 2 (including the Companys obligations with respect to the filing of a Registration Statement and its obligations to use reasonable best efforts to have such Registration Statement declared effective within the time periods set forth herein and the liquidated damages provisions relating thereto) shall again be applicable to such Cut Back Shares; provided, however, that (i) the Filing Deadline for such Registration Statement including such Cut Back Shares shall be ten (10) Business Days after such Restriction Termination Date, and (ii) the date by which the Company is required to obtain effectiveness with respect to such Cut Back Shares shall be the 60th day immediately after the Restriction Termination Date (or the 90th day if the SEC reviews such Registration Statement).
(e) Other Limitations. Notwithstanding any other provision herein or in the Purchase Agreement, (i) the Filing Deadline and each Effectiveness Deadline for a Registration Statement shall be extended and any Maintenance Failure shall be automatically waived by no action of the Investors, in each case, without default by or liquidated damages payable by the Company hereunder in the event that the Companys failure to make such filing or obtain such effectiveness or a Maintenance Failure results from the failure of an Investor to timely provide the Company with information requested by the Company and necessary to complete a Registration Statement in accordance with the requirements of the 1933 Act (in which case any such deadline would be extended, and a Maintenance Failure waived, with respect to all Registrable Securities until such time as the Investor provides such requested information) and (ii) in no event shall the aggregate amount of liquidated damages (or interest thereon) paid hereunder exceed, in the aggregate, 8% of the aggregate purchase price of the Shares purchased by the Investors under the Purchase Agreement.
3. Company Obligations. The Company will use reasonable best efforts to effect the registration of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the terms hereof, and pursuant thereto the Company will, as expeditiously as possible:
(a) use reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective and to remain continuously effective until such time as there are no longer Registrable Securities held by the Investors (the Effectiveness Period) and advise the Investors promptly in writing when the Effectiveness Period has expired;
(b) prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and post-effective amendments to such Registration Statement and the related Prospectus as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement effective for the Effectiveness Period and to comply with the provisions of the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act with respect to the distribution of all of the Registrable Securities covered thereby;
(c) permit, upon request, any counsel designated by the Investors to review each Registration Statement and all amendments and supplements thereto prior to their filing with the SEC and shall use reasonable best efforts to reflect in such documents any comments as such counsel may reasonably propose;
(d) furnish to each Investor whose Registrable Securities are included in any Registration Statement (i) promptly after the same is prepared and filed with the SEC, if requested by the Investor, one (1) copy of any Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, each preliminary prospectus and Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto, and each letter written by or on behalf of the Company to the SEC or the staff of the SEC, and each item of correspondence from the SEC or the staff of the SEC, in each case relating to such Registration Statement (other than any portion thereof which contains information for which the Company has sought confidential treatment), and (ii) such number of copies of a Prospectus, including a preliminary prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto and such other documents as each Investor may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Investor (it being understood and agreed that such documents, or access thereto, may be provided electronically);
(e) use reasonable best efforts to (i) prevent the issuance of any stop order or other suspension of effectiveness and, (ii) if such order is issued, obtain the withdrawal of any such order at the earliest possible moment;
(f) prior to any public offering of Registrable Securities, use reasonable best efforts to assist or cooperate with the Investors and their counsel in connection with their registration or qualification of such Registrable Securities for the offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions reasonably requested by the Investors; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith or as a condition thereto to (i) qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this Section 3(f), (ii) subject itself to general taxation in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be so subject but for this Section 3(f), or (iii) file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction;
(g) use reasonable best efforts to cause all Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement to be listed on the Nasdaq Global Market (or the primary securities exchange, interdealer quotation system or other market on which the Common Shares are then listed);
(h) promptly notify the Investors, at any time prior to the end of the Effectiveness Period, upon discovery that, or upon the happening of any event as a result of which, the Prospectus includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances then existing, and promptly prepare, file with the SEC and furnish to such holder a supplement to or an amendment of such Prospectus as may be necessary so that such Prospectus shall not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances then existing;
(i) otherwise use reasonable best efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC under the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act, including, without limitation, Rule 172 under the 1933 Act, file any final Prospectus, including any supplement or amendment thereof, with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, promptly inform the Investors in writing if, at any time during the Effectiveness Period, the Company does not satisfy the conditions specified in Rule 172 and, as a result thereof, the Investors are required to deliver a Prospectus in connection with any disposition of Registrable Securities and take such other actions as may be reasonably necessary to facilitate the registration of the Registrable Securities hereunder;
(j) with a view to making available to the Investors the benefits of Rule 144 (or its successor rule) and any other rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit the Investors to sell Common Shares to the public without registration, the Company covenants and agrees to: (i) make and keep public information available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144, until the earlier of (A) six months after such date as all of the Registrable Securities may be sold without restriction by the holders thereof pursuant to Rule 144 or any other rule of similar effect or (B) such date as there are no longer Registrable Securities; (ii) file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the 1934 Act; and (iii) furnish electronically to each Investor upon request, as long as such Investor owns any Registrable Securities, (A) a written statement by the Company that it has complied with the reporting requirements of the 1934 Act, (B) a copy of or electronic access to the Companys most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F or Current Report on Form 6-K in which the Company has furnished its quarterly financial statements, and (C) such other information as may be reasonably requested in order to avail such Investor of any rule or regulation of the SEC that permits the selling of any such Registrable Securities without registration; and
(k) if requested by an Investor, cooperate with such Investor to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Securities to be delivered to a transferee pursuant to an effective Registration Statement, which certificates shall be free, to the extent permitted by applicable law, of all restrictive legends, and to enable such certificates to be in such denominations and registered in such names as any such Investor may request.
4. Due Diligence Review; Information. If any Investor is required under applicable securities laws to be described in a Registration Statement as an underwriter, the Company shall, upon reasonable prior notice, make available, during normal business hours, for inspection and review by the Investors, advisors to and representatives of the Investors (who may or may not be affiliated with the Investors and who are reasonably acceptable to the Company) (collectively, the Inspectors), all pertinent financial and other records, and all other corporate documents and properties of the Company (collectively, the Records) as may be reasonably necessary for the purpose of such review, and cause the Companys officers, directors and employees, within a reasonable time period, to supply all such information reasonably requested by the Inspectors (including, without limitation, in response to all questions and other inquiries reasonably made or submitted by any of them), prior to and from time to time after the filing and effectiveness of such Registration Statement for the sole purpose of enabling such Investor and its accountants and attorneys to conduct such due diligence solely for the purpose of establishing a due diligence defense to underwriter liability under the 1933 Act; provided, however, that each Inspector shall agree to hold in strict confidence and shall not make any disclosure (except to such Investor) or use of any Record or other information which the Company determines in good faith to be confidential, and of which determination the Inspectors are so notified, unless (a) the disclosure of such Records is necessary to avoid or correct a misstatement or omission in any Registration
Statement or is otherwise required under the 1933 Act, (b) the release of such Records is ordered pursuant to a final, non-appealable subpoena or order from a court or government body of competent jurisdiction, or (c) the information in such Records has been made generally available to the public other than by disclosure in violation of this Section 4 or the Purchase Agreement. Each Investor agrees that it shall, upon learning that disclosure of such Records is sought in or by a court or governmental body of competent jurisdiction or through other means, give prompt notice to the Company and allow the Company, at its expense, to undertake appropriate action to prevent disclosure of, or to obtain a protective order for, the Records deemed confidential. Nothing herein (or in any other confidentiality agreement between the Company and any Investor) shall be deemed to limit the Investors ability to sell Registrable Securities in a manner which is otherwise consistent with applicable laws and regulations.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not disclose material nonpublic information to the Investors, or to advisors to or representatives of the Investors, unless prior to disclosure of such information the Company identifies such information as being material nonpublic information and provides the Investors, such advisors and representatives with the opportunity to accept or refuse to accept such material nonpublic information for review and any Investor wishing to obtain such information enters into an appropriate confidentiality agreement with the Company with respect thereto.
5. Obligations of the Investors.
(a) Each Investor shall execute and deliver a Selling Stockholder Questionnaire prior to the Closing Date. Each Investor shall additionally furnish in writing to the Company such other information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it and the intended method of disposition of the Registrable Securities held by it, as shall be reasonably required to effect the registration of such Registrable Securities and shall execute such documents in connection with such registration as the Company may reasonably request. At least five (5) Business Days prior to the first anticipated filing date of any Registration Statement, the Company shall notify each Investor of the additional information the Company requires from such Investor if such Investor elects to have any of the Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement (the Registration Information Notice). An Investor shall provide such information to the Company no later than two (2) Business Days following receipt of a Registration Information Notice if such Investor elects to have any of the Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement. It is agreed and understood that it shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of the Company to complete the registration pursuant to this Agreement with respect to the Registrable Securities of a particular Investor that (i) such Investor furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it and the intended method of disposition of the Registrable Securities held by it as shall be reasonably required to effect the effectiveness of the registration of such Registrable Securities, and (ii) the Investor execute such documents in connection with such registration as the Company may reasonably request, including, without limitation, a waiver of its registration rights hereunder to the extent an Investor elects not to have any of its Registrable Securities included in a Registration Statement.
(b) Each Investor, by its acceptance of the Registrable Securities, agrees to cooperate with the Company as reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of a Registration Statement hereunder, unless such Investor has notified the Company in writing of its election to exclude all of its Registrable Securities from such Registration Statement.
(c) Each Investor agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from the Company of either (i) the commencement of an Allowed Delay pursuant to Section 2(c)(ii) or (ii) the happening of an event pursuant to Section 3(h) hereof, such Investor will immediately discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to any Registration Statement covering such Registrable Securities, until the Investor is advised by the Company that such dispositions may again be made.
(d) Each Investor covenants and agrees that it will comply with the prospectus delivery requirements of the 1933 Act as applicable to it or an exemption therefrom in connection with sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to any Registration Statement.
6. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification by the Company. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Investor and its officers, directors, members, employees and agents, successors and assigns, and each other person, if any, who controls such Investor within the meaning of the 1933 Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they may become subject under the 1933 Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission of any material fact contained in any Registration Statement, any preliminary Prospectus or final Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereof; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case if and to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon (i) an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission so made in conformity with information furnished by such Investor or any such controlling person in writing specifically for use in such Registration Statement or Prospectus, (ii) the use by an Investor of an outdated or defective Prospectus after the Company has notified such Investor in writing that such Prospectus is outdated or defective or (iii) an Investors failure to send or give a copy of the Prospectus or supplement (as then amended or supplemented), if required (and not exempted) to the Persons asserting an untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of Registrable Securities.
(b) Indemnification by the Investors. Each Investor agrees, severally but not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company, its directors, officers, employees, stockholders and each person who controls the Company (within the meaning of the 1933 Act) against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expense (including reasonable attorney fees) resulting from any untrue statement of a material fact or any omission of a material fact required to be stated in any Registration Statement or Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information regarding such Investor and furnished in writing by such Investor to the Company specifically for inclusion in such Registration Statement or Prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto. In no event shall the liability of an Investor be greater than the dollar amount of the proceeds received by such Investor upon the sale of the Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement giving rise to such indemnification obligation.
(c) Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings. Any person entitled to indemnification hereunder shall (i) give prompt notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification and (ii) permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party; provided, that any person entitled to indemnification hereunder shall have the right to employ separate counsel and to participate in the defense of such claim, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such person unless (A) the indemnifying party has agreed to pay such fees or expenses, (B) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume the defense of such claim and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such person or (C) in the reasonable judgment of any such person, based upon written advice of its counsel, a conflict of interest exists between such person and the indemnifying party with respect to such claims (in which case, if the person notifies the indemnifying party in writing that such person elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of such claim on behalf of such person); and provided, further that the failure of any indemnified party to give notice as provided herein shall not relieve the indemnifying party of its obligations hereunder, except to the extent that such failure to give notice shall materially adversely affect the indemnifying party in the defense of any such claim or litigation. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for fees or expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys at any time for all such indemnified parties. No indemnifying party will, except with the consent of the indemnified party, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or conditioned, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement that does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release from all liability in respect of such claim or litigation.
(d) Contribution. If for any reason the indemnification provided for in the preceding paragraphs (a) and (b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient to hold it harmless, other than as expressly specified therein, then the indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the indemnified party as a result of such loss, claim, damage or liability in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnified party and the indemnifying party, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act shall be entitled to contribution from any person not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. In no event shall the contribution obligation of a holder of Registrable Securities be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the proceeds received by it upon the sale of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such contribution obligation.
7. Miscellaneous.
(a) Amendments and Waivers. This Agreement may be amended only by a writing signed by the Company and the Required Investors. The Company may take any action herein prohibited, or omit to perform any act herein required to be performed by it, only if the Company shall have obtained the written consent to such amendment, action or omission to act, of the Required Investors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may not be amended and the observance of any term hereof may not be waived with respect to any Investor without the written consent of such Investor, unless such amendment or waiver applies to all Investors in the same fashion.
(b) Notices. All notices and other communications provided for or permitted hereunder shall be made as set forth in Section 9.4 of the Purchase Agreement.
(c) Assignments and Transfers by Investors. The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Investors and their respective successors and assigns. An Investor may transfer or assign, in whole or from time to time in part, to one or more persons its rights hereunder in connection with the transfer of Registrable Securities by such Investor to such person, provided that (i) the Investor agrees in writing with the transferee or assignee to assign such rights and a copy of such agreement is furnished to the Company within a reasonable time after such assignment; (ii) the Company is, within a reasonable time after such transfer or assignment, furnished with written notice of (A) the name and address of such transferee or assignee and (B) the securities with respect to which such registration rights are being transferred or assigned; (iii) immediately following such transfer or assignment the further disposition of such securities by the transferee or assignee is restricted under the 1933 Act or applicable state securities laws; (iv) at or before the time the Company receives the written notice contemplated by clause (ii) of this sentence the transferee or assignee agrees in writing with the Company to be bound by all of the provisions contained herein and (v) such transfer shall have been made in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Purchase Agreement.
(d) Assignments and Transfers by the Company. This Agreement may not be assigned by the Company (whether by operation of law or otherwise) without the prior written consent of the Required Investors, provided, however, that in the event that the Company is a party to a merger, consolidation, share exchange or similar business combination transaction in which the Common Shares are converted into the equity securities of another Person, from and after the effective time of such transaction, such Person shall, by virtue of such transaction, be deemed to have assumed the obligations of the Company hereunder, the term Company shall be deemed to refer to such Person and the term Registrable Securities shall be deemed to include the securities received by the Investors in connection with such transaction unless such securities are otherwise freely tradable by the Investors after giving effect to such transaction.
(e) Benefits of the Agreement. The terms and conditions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective permitted successors and assigns of the parties. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and assigns any rights, remedies, obligations, or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement.
(f) Counterparts; Faxes. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. This Agreement may also be executed via facsimile or e-mail, which shall be deemed an original.
(g) Titles and Subtitles. The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are used for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement.
(h) Severability. Any provision of this Agreement that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof but shall be interpreted as if it were written so as to be enforceable to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the parties hereby waive any provision of law which renders any provisions hereof prohibited or unenforceable in any respect.
(i) Further Assurances. The parties shall execute and deliver all such further instruments and documents and take all such other actions as may reasonably be required to carry out the transactions contemplated hereby and to evidence the fulfillment of the agreements herein contained.
(j) Entire Agreement. This Agreement is intended by the parties as a final expression of their agreement and intended to be a complete and exclusive statement of the agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of the subject matter contained herein. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings between the parties with respect to such subject matter.
(k) Governing Law; Consent to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York without regard to the choice of law principles thereof (other than sections 5-1401 and 5-1402 of the General Obligations Law). Each of the parties hereto irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York located in New York County and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York for the purpose of any suit, action, proceeding or judgment relating to or arising out of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. Service of process in connection with any such suit, action or proceeding may be served on each party hereto anywhere in the world by the same methods as are specified for the giving of notices under this Agreement. Each of the parties hereto irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction of any such court in any such suit, action or proceeding and to the laying of venue in such court. Each party hereto irrevocably waives any objection to the laying of venue of any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such courts and irrevocably waives any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO REQUEST A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LITIGATION WITH RESPECT TO THIS AGREEMENT AND REPRESENTS THAT COUNSEL HAS BEEN CONSULTED SPECIFICALLY AS TO THIS WAIVER.
(l) Filing Restrictions. The Company will register the resale of Registrable Securities representing Cut Back Shares on an effective Registration Statement prior to or concurrent with registering the resale of its securities by a selling security holder not holding Registrable Securities; provided, however, that this Section 7(l) shall not apply to Registrable Securities representing Cut Back Shares that were excluded from any such Registration Statement on account of the failure of a holder of such Registrable Securities to comply with the provisions hereof, including, but not limited to, the requirement of a holder to provide information required to be included in a Registration Statement.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement or caused their duly authorized officers to execute this Agreement as of the date first above written.
COMPANY: | MERUS N.V. | |||||||
By: | /s/ Ton Logtenberg | |||||||
Name: Ton Logtenberg | ||||||||
Title: Chief Executive Officer |
[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement or caused their duly authorized officers to execute this Agreement as of the date first above written.
INVESTOR:
BIOTECHNOLOGY VALUE FUND, L.P. | ||
By: | /s/ Mark Lampert | |
Name: Mark Lampert | ||
Title: President BVF Inc., General Partner of BVF Partners L.P., itself GP of Biotechnology Value Fund, L.P. | ||
Address: | ||
1 Sansome Street #30 San Francisco, CA 94104 |
BIOTECHNOLOGY VALUE FUND II, LP | ||
By: | /s/ Mark Lampert | |
Name: Mark Lampert | ||
Title: President BVF Inc., General Partner of BVF Partners L.P., itself GP of Biotechnology Value Fund II, L.P. | ||
Address: | ||
1 Sansome Street #30 San Francisco, CA 94104 |
BIOTECHNOLOGY VALUE TRADING FUND OS, L.P. | ||
By: | /s/ Mark Lampert | |
Name: Mark Lampert | ||
Title: President BVF Inc., General Partner of BVF Partners L.P., itself sole member of BVF Partners OS Ltd., itself GP of Biotechnology Trading Fund OS, L.P. | ||
Address: | ||
PO Box 309 Ugland House, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104, Cayman Islands |
[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement for Merus N.V.]
INVESTMENT 10, LLC | ||
By: | /s/ Mark Lampert | |
Name: Mark Lampert | ||
Title: President BVF Inc., General Partner of BVF Partners L.P., itself investment advisor of Investment 10, LLC | ||
Address: | ||
90 N Michigan Ave Suite 1100 Chicago, IL 60611 |
MSI BVF SPV, L.L.C. | ||
c/o Magnitude Capital | ||
By: | /s/ Mark Lampert | |
Name: Mark Lampert | ||
Title: President BVF Inc., itself General Partner of BVF Partners L.P., itself attorney-in-fact for MSI BVF SPV, L.L.C. | ||
Address: | ||
200 Park Avenue, 56th Floor New York, NY 10166 |
With a copy (which will not constitute notice) to:
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
555 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Facsimile: (415) 374-8430
Attention: Ryan A. Murr
[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement for Merus N.V.]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement or caused their duly authorized officers to execute this Agreement as of the date first above written.
INVESTOR:
SOFINNOVA VENTURE PARTNERS IX, L.P. | ||
By: | Sofinnova Management IX, L.L.C. | |
Its: | General Partner | |
By: | /s/ Anand Mehra | |
Name: | Anand Mehra | |
Title: | Managing Member | |
Address for Notices: | ||
3000 Sand Hill Road, Bldg. 4 Suite 250 Menlo Park, CA 94025 Attn: Anand Mehra Email: anand@sofinnova.com |
[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement or caused their duly authorized officers to execute this Agreement as of the date first above written.
INVESTOR:
AQUILO CAPITAL II, L.P. | ||
By: | Aquilo Capital Management, LLC | |
Its: | General Partner |
By: | /s/ Marc R. Schneidman | |
Name: | Marc R. Schneidman | |
Title: | Manager |
Address for Notices: |
One Letterman Drive, Suite D4900 |
Building D, The Presidio |
San Francisco, CA 94129 |
Attn: Marc R. Schneidman |
Email: MSchneidman@aquilocap.com |
AQUILO CAPITAL, L.P. | ||
By: | Aquilo Capital Management, LLC | |
Its: | General Partner |
By: | /s/ Marc R. Schneidman | |
Name: | Marc R. Schneidman | |
Title: | Manager |
Address for Notices: |
One Letterman Drive, Suite D4900 |
Building D, The Presidio |
San Francisco, CA 94129 |
Attn: Marc R. Schneidman |
Email: MSchneidman@aquilocap.com |
[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement or caused their duly authorized officers to execute this Agreement as of the date first above written.
INVESTOR:
LSP Life Sciences Fund NV | ||
/s/ Mark Wegter and Geraldine OKeeffe | ||
By: | LSP Advisory BV | |
Title: | Director | |
By: | Mark Wegter and Geraldine OKeeffe | |
Title: | Director |
Address for Notices: |
Johannes Vermeerplein 9 |
1071 DV Amsterdam |
The Netherlands |
Attn: Bas Vaessen, General Counsel |
Email: gokeeffe@lspvc.com |
[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]
Exhibit 99.3
UTRECHT, The Netherlands, Feb. 14, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) Merus N.V. (Nasdaq:MRUS), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing innovative bispecific antibody therapeutics (Biclonics®), today announced that it has agreed to sell 3.1 million shares of its common shares to Biotechnology Value Fund, L.P. and certain of its affiliates (BVF), Aquilo Capital Management (Aquilo), Sofinnova Venture Partners L.P., and LSP Life Sciences Fund NV in a private placement. Merus anticipates aggregate gross proceeds from the offering will be approximately $55.8 million based on the offering price of $18 per share, representing a premium of approximately 9% from the close of trading on February 13, 2018. The offering is expected to close on or about February 15, 2018, subject to customary closing conditions. The company intends to use the proceeds from this private placement to continue to fund Merus product candidates in clinical and preclinical development, as well as for general corporate purposes.
Mark Lampert, President of BVF, and Marc Schneidman, Chief Investment Officer of Aquilo, stated, BVF and Aquilo believe strongly in the fundamental value of Merus and the Biclonics® technology. We are privileged to make this investment in the Company and value the opportunity to provide additional leverage to the clinical development of very promising drug candidates that we believe will yield meaningful clinical data in the near future.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state.
These securities are being sold in a private placement and have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration with the Securities Exchange Commission or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements.
About Merus N.V.
Merus is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing innovative full-length human bispecific antibody therapeutics, referred to as Biclonics®. Biclonics®, which are based on the full-length IgG format, are manufactured using industry standard processes and have been observed in preclinical and clinical studies to have several of the same features of conventional human monoclonal antibodies, such as long half-life and low immunogenicity. Merus most advanced bispecific antibody candidate, MCLA-128, is being evaluated in a Phase 2 combination trial in two metastatic breast cancer populations. MCLA-128 is also being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in Europe in gastric, ovarian, endometrial and non-small cell lung cancers. Merus second most advanced bispecific antibody candidate, MCLA-117, is being developed in a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. The Company also has a pipeline of proprietary bispecific antibody candidates in preclinical development, including MCLA-158, which is designed to bind to cancer stem cells and is being developed as a potential treatment for colorectal cancer and other solid tumors, as well as MCLA-145, which is designed to bind to PD-L1 and a non-disclosed second immunomodulatory target, which is being developed in collaboration with Incyte Corporation. For additional information, please visit Merus website, www.merus.nl.
Forward Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding the expected timing for the closing of the private placement, the expected use of proceeds from the private placement, the value of Merus and the Biclonics® technology, the promise of Merus drug candidates, the results and timing of future clinical data and the treatment potential of MCLA-158 and MCLA-145.
These forward-looking statements are based on managements current expectations. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: our need for additional funding, which may not be available and which may require us to restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies or Biclonics® and bispecific antibody candidates; potential delays in regulatory approval, which would impact our ability to commercialize our product candidates and affect our ability to generate revenue; the lengthy and expensive process of clinical drug development, which has an uncertain outcome; the unpredictable nature of our early stage development efforts for marketable drugs; potential delays in enrollment of patients, which could affect the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals; our reliance on third parties to conduct our clinical trials and the potential for those third parties to not perform satisfactorily; we may not identify suitable Biclonics® or bispecific antibody candidates under our collaboration with Incyte or Incyte may fail to perform adequately under our collaboration; our reliance on third parties to manufacture our product candidates, which may delay, prevent or impair our development and commercialization efforts; protection of our proprietary technology; our patents may be found invalid, unenforceable, circumvented by competitors and our patent applications may be found not to comply with the rules and regulations of patentability; we may fail to prevail in existing and potential lawsuits for infringement of third-party intellectual property; and our registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names may be challenged, infringed, circumvented or declared generic or determined to be infringing on other marks.
These and other important factors discussed under the caption Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, on April 28, 2017, and our other reports filed with the SEC, could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent managements estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change, except as required under applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
Contacts:
Investors:
Kimberly Minarovich
+1 646 368 8014
kimberly@argotpartners.com
Media:
David Rosen
+1 212-600-1902
David.rosen@argotpartners.com