EX-10.7 9 d258660dex107.htm EX-10.7 EX-10.7

Exhibit 10.7

EXECUTION VERSION

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

This Registration Rights Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of October 12, 2016, by and between Goodrich Petroleum Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and certain stockholders of the Company who were issued shares of Company Common Stock in the Plan (each such party as identified on Schedule I hereto (“Initial Holders”), together with any person or entity that hereafter becomes a party to this Agreement pursuant to Section 8(g) of this Agreement, a “Holder” and collectively, the “Holders”). The Company and the Holders are referred to collectively herein as the “Parties.”

IN CONSIDERATION of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein and for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged by each Party, the Parties agree as follows:

 

1. Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the respective meanings set forth in this Section 1:

Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, such Person as of the date on which, or at any time during the period for which, the determination of affiliation is being made (including any investment fund the primary investment advisor to which is such Person or an Affiliate thereof); provided, that for purposes of this Agreement, no Holder shall be deemed an Affiliate of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. For purposes of this definition, the term “control” (including the correlative meanings of the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as used with respect to any Person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise (it being understood that a director, officer or manager of any Person shall not be deemed to control such Person solely as a result of serving as one of multiple directors, officers or managers of such Person). With respect to any Holder, any investment fund or managed account that is managed on a discretionary basis by the same investment manager as such Holder or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates will be deemed to be an Affiliate of such Holder.

Affiliated Holder” means any Initial Holder or any Holder that acquires Registrable Securities from any Initial Holder, Affiliated Holder or their respective Affiliates pursuant to Section 8(g) of this Agreement.

Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Alternative Transaction” means the sale of Registrable Securities constituting more than 1% of Company Common Stock then outstanding to one or more purchasers in a registered transaction without a prior marketing process by means of (i) a bought deal, (ii) a block trade, (iii) a sale by the Hedging Counterparty or by an Initiating Holder to a Hedging Counterparty in connection with a Hedging Transaction, (iv) a direct sale or (v) any other transaction that is registered pursuant to a Shelf Registration that is not a firm commitment underwritten offering.

Automatic Shelf Registration Statement” means an “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined in Rule 405.


beneficially owned”, “beneficial ownership” and similar phrases have the same meanings as such terms have under Rule 13d-3 (or any successor rule then in effect) under the Exchange Act, except that in calculating the beneficial ownership of any Holder, such Holder shall be deemed to have beneficial ownership of all securities that such Holder has the right to acquire, whether such right is currently exercisable or is exercisable upon the occurrence of a subsequent event. For the avoidance of doubt, each Holder shall be deemed to beneficially own all of the shares of Company Common Stock held by any of its Affiliates.

Business Day” means any day that is not a Saturday, a Sunday or other day on which banks are required or authorized by law to be closed in New York, New York.

Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other federal agency then administering the Securities Act or Exchange Act.

Company” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Company Common Stock” means the shares of common stock, par value $0.01, of the Company.

Common Stock Equivalents” means all options, warrants and other securities that at such time are convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, shares of Company Common Stock (including, without limitation, any note or debt security convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Company Common Stock).

Company Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(iii).

Demand Eligible Holder” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(b)(i).

Demand Eligible Holder Request” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(b)(i).

Demand Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(b)(i).

Demand Registration” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(b)(i).

Demand Registration Statement” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(b)(i).

Determination Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(vii).

Effective Date” means the effective date under the Plan.

Effectiveness Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(b)(iv).

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Family Member” shall mean, with respect to any natural Person, such Person’s parents, spouse (but not including a former spouse or a spouse from whom such Person is legally separated) and descendants (whether or not adopted) and any trust, family limited partnership or limited liability company that is and remains solely for the benefit of such Person’s spouse (but not including a former spouse or a spouse from whom such Person is legally separated) and/or descendants.

 

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FINRA” means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Form S-1 Shelf” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(i).

Form S-3 Shelf” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(i).

Hedging Counterparty” means broker-dealer registered under Section 15(b) of the Exchange Act or an Affiliate thereof.

Hedging Transaction” means any transaction involving a security linked to the Registrable Securities or any security that would be deemed to be a “derivative security” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(c) promulgated under the Exchange Act) with respect to the Registrable Securities or a transaction (even if not a security) which would (were it a security) be considered such a derivative security, or which transfers some or all of the economic risk of ownership of the Registrable Securities, including any forward contract, equity swap, put or call, put or call equivalent position, collar, non-recourse loan, sale of exchangeable security or similar transaction. For the avoidance of doubt the following transactions shall be deemed to be Hedging Transactions

(i) transactions by an Initiating Holder in which a Hedging Counterparty engages in short sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Prospectus and may use Registrable Securities to close out its short position;

(ii) transactions pursuant to an Initiating Holder sells short Registrable Securities pursuant to a Prospectus and delivers Registrable Securities to close out its short position;

(iii) transactions by an Initiating Holder in which the Initiating Holder delivers, in a transaction exempt from registration under the Securities Act, Registrable Securities to the Hedging Counterparty who will then publicly resell or otherwise transfer such Registrable Securities pursuant to a Prospectus or an exemption from registration under the Securities Act; and

(iv) a loan or pledge of Registrable Securities to a Hedging Counterparty who may then become a selling stockholder and sell the loaned shares or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged shares, in each case, in a public transaction pursuant to a Prospectus.

Holder” has the meaning set forth in the preamble. A Person shall cease to be a Holder hereunder at such time as it ceases to hold any Registrable Securities.

Holders of a Majority of Included Registrable Securities” means Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities included in the Registration Statement or public offering.

Indemnified Persons” has the meaning set forth in Section 6(a).

 

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Initial Holders” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Initial Public Offering” means the initial public underwritten offering of Common Stock of the Company or any corporate successor to the Company by way of conversion, or parent of the Company, or any of their respective Subsidiaries, pursuant to a registration statement effective under the Securities Act after the Effective Date.

Initiating Holders” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(b)(i).

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433 promulgated under the Securities Act, relating to an offer of the Registrable Securities.

Losses” has the meaning set forth in Section 6(a).

Maximum Offering Size” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(iv).

Notes” means the $40 million of 13.5% Convertible Senior Secured Second Lien Notes of the Company issued pursuant to the indenture, dated the date hereof, among the Company, the guarantors named therein, and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee.

Notes Holders” means, collectively, each person that is a “Holder” (as defined in the Notes Registration Rights Agreement) as of the relevant determination date.

Notes Registration Rights Agreement” means that certain registration rights agreement (including all exhibits thereto and as may be amended, supplemented or amended and restated from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof), made and entered into as of the date hereof, by and among the Company and the persons to whom the Notes are issued on the date hereof.

Other Registrable Securities” means (i) Company Common Stock (including those held as a result of, or issuable upon, the conversion or exercise of Common Stock Equivalents), (ii) any securities issued or issuable with respect to, on account of or in exchange for Company Common Stock, whether by stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, merger, consolidation or other reorganization, charter amendment or otherwise and (iii) any options, warrants or other rights to acquire, and any securities received as a dividend or distribution in respect of, any of the securities described in clauses (i) and (ii) above, in each case held by any other Person who has rights to participate in any offering of securities by the Company pursuant to a registration rights agreement or other similar arrangement with the Company or any direct or indirect parent of the Company relating to the Company Common Stock (which shall not include this Agreement).

Parties” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Permitted Assignee” shall mean any (a) Affiliate of any Holder that acquires Registrable Securities from such Holder or its Affiliates, or (b) other Person who acquires any Registrable Securities (in a transaction other than a public offering) of any Holder or Holders pursuant to Section 8(g) and who is designated as a Permitted Assignee by such Holder in a written notice to Company; provided, however, that the rights of any Person designated as a Permitted Assignee referred to in the foregoing clause (b) shall be limited if, and to the extent, provided in such written notice to the Company.

 

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Person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, company, association, trust, joint venture, limited liability company, unincorporated organization, entity or division, or any government, governmental department or agency or political subdivision thereof.

Piggyback Eligible Holders” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(c)(i).

Piggyback Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(c)(i).

Piggyback Registration” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(c)(i).

Piggyback Registration Statement” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(c)(i).

Piggyback Request” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(c)(i).

Plan” means the First Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of the Company and its debtor subsidiary under chapter 11 of Title 11 of the United States Code.

Pro Rata Share” of a Holder means a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Registrable Securities held by such Holder and the denominator of which is the total amount of outstanding Registrable Securities held by the Holders.

Proceeding” means any action, claim, suit, proceeding or investigation (including a preliminary investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition) pending or known to the Company to be threatened.

Prospectus” means the prospectus included in a Registration Statement (including a prospectus that includes any information previously omitted from a prospectus filed as part of an effective Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A), all amendments and supplements to the Prospectus, including post-effective amendments, all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.

Registrable Securities” means (i) any Company Common Stock (including those held as a result of, or issuable upon, the conversion or exercise of Common Stock Equivalents), (ii) any securities issued or issuable, directly or indirectly, with respect to, on account of or in exchange for Company Common Stock, whether by stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, merger, consolidation or other reorganization, charter amendment or otherwise and (iii) any options, warrants or other rights to acquire, and any securities received as a dividend or distribution in respect of, any of the securities described in clauses (i) and (ii) above, in each case that are held by the Holders and their Affiliates or any transferee or assignee of any Holder or its Affiliates after giving effect to a transfer made in compliance with Section 8(g), all of which securities are subject to the rights provided herein until such rights terminate pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement. As to any particular Registrable Securities, such securities shall not be Registrable Securities when (i) a Registration Statement registering such Registrable Securities under the Securities Act has been declared effective and such Registrable Securities have been sold,

 

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transferred or otherwise disposed of by the Holder thereof pursuant to such effective Registration Statement, (ii) such Registrable Securities are sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of pursuant to Rule 144, (iii) such securities are otherwise transferred and thereafter such securities may be resold without subsequent registration under the Securities Act or (iv) such securities cease to be outstanding.

Registration Expenses” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.

Registration Statement” means a registration statement of the Company filed with or to be filed with the Commission under the Securities Act and other applicable law, including an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement, and including any Prospectus, amendments and supplements to each such registration statement or Prospectus, including pre- and post-effective amendments, all exhibits thereto, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such registration statement.

Representatives” means, with respect to any Person, such Person’s directors, officers, members, partners, limited partners, general partners, shareholders, subsidiaries, managed accounts or funds, managers, management company, investment manager, affiliates, principals, employees, agents, investment bankers, attorneys, accountants, advisors, consultants, fund advisors, financial advisor and other professionals of such Person, in each case, in such capacity, serving on or after the date of this Agreement.

Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such Rule.

Rule 158” means Rule 158 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such Rule.

Rule 405” means Rule 405 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such Rule.

Rule 415” means Rule 415 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such Rule.

Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such Rule.

Rule 430A” means Rule 430A promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such Rule.

Seasoned Issuer” means an issuer eligible to use a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act and who is not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405.

 

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Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Selling Expenses” means all underwriting discounts, selling commissions and stock transfer taxes applicable to the sale of Registrable Securities not included within the definition of Registration Expenses.

Shelf Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(i).

Shelf Public Offering Requesting Holder” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(ii).

Shelf Registration” means the registration of an offering of Registrable Securities on a Form S-1 Shelf or a Form S-3 Shelf, as applicable, on a delayed or continuous basis under Rule 415, pursuant to Section 2(a)(i).

Shelf Registration Statement” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(i).

Shelf Takedown Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(iii).

Subsidiary” means, when used with respect to any Person, any corporation or other entity, whether incorporated or unincorporated, (a) of which such Person or any other Subsidiary of such Person is a general partner (excluding partnerships, the general partnership interests of which held by such Person or any Subsidiary of such Person do not have a majority of the voting interests in such partnership) or (b) at least a majority of the securities or other interests of which having by their terms ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors or others performing similar functions with respect to such corporation or other entity is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by such Person or by any one or more of its Subsidiaries, or by such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries.

Suspension Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(e).

Ten Percent Holder” means a holder, who together with its Affiliates, beneficially owns 10% or more of the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock as of the date of determination. Any rights provided to a Ten Percent Holder under this Agreement shall apply and be available to a Ten Percent Holder only for so long as such holder is a Ten Percent Holder as of the date of determination.

Trading Market” means the principal national securities exchange in the United States on which Registrable Securities are (or are to be) listed.

Transaction Documents” means, collectively, this Agreement and any and all other agreements or instruments provided for in this Agreement to be executed and delivered by the Parties in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby.

Underwritten Shelf Takedown” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(ii).

Warrant Holders” means, collectively, each person that is a “Holder” (as defined in the Warrant Registration Rights Agreement) as of the relevant determination date.

 

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Warrant Registration Rights Agreement” means that certain registration rights agreement (including all exhibits thereto and as may be amended, supplemented or amended and restated from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof, made and entered into as of the date hereof, by and among the Company and the persons to whom certain warrants were issued by the Company on the date hereof in connection with the sale of the Notes.

WKSI” means a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined under Rule 405 and which (i) is a “well-known seasoned issuer” under paragraph (1)(i)(A) of such definition or (ii) is a “well-known seasoned issuer” under paragraph (1)(i)(B) of such definition and is also a Seasoned Issuer.

WKSI Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(vii).

Unless the context requires otherwise: (a) any pronoun used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms; (b) references to Sections, paragraphs and clauses refer to Sections, paragraphs and clauses of this Agreement; (c) the terms “include,” “includes,” “including” or words of like import shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation”; (d) the terms “hereof,” “herein” or “hereunder” refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement; (e) unless the context otherwise requires, the term “or” is not exclusive and shall have the inclusive meaning of “and/or”; (f) defined terms herein will apply equally to both the singular and plural forms and derivative forms of defined terms will have correlative meanings; (g) references to any law or statute shall be deemed to refer to such law or statute as amended or supplemented from time to time and shall include all rules and regulations and forms promulgated thereunder, and references to any law, rule, form or statute shall be construed as including any legal and statutory provisions, rules or forms consolidating, amending, succeeding or replacing the applicable law, rule, form or statute; (h) references to any Person include such Person’s successors and permitted assigns; and (i) references to “days” are to calendar days unless otherwise indicated.

 

2. Registration.

(a) Shelf Registration.

(i) Filing of Shelf Registration Statement. As soon as reasonably practicable after the Effective Date, and in any event not later than sixty (60) days after the Effective Date, the Company shall file a Registration Statement for a Shelf Registration on Form S-3 covering the resale of all of the Registrable Securities held by the Initial Holders (and any additional Holder that the Company has received notice of) on a delayed or continuous basis (the “Form S-3 Shelf”). If the Company is not a Seasoned Issuer or WKSI at the time of filing, the Company shall file such Registration Statement for a Shelf Registration on Form S-1 (the “Form S-1 Shelf” and, together with the Form S-3 Shelf, the “Shelf Registration Statement”). In the event that the Company files such Shelf Registration Statement on a Form S-1 Shelf and thereafter becomes eligible to file such Shelf Registration Statement on Form S-3, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to convert the Form S-1 Shelf to a Form S-3 Shelf (which shall be an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement if the Company is a WKSI) as soon as practicable after the Company becomes so eligible. Subject to the terms of this

 

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Agreement, including any applicable Suspension Period, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Shelf Registration Statement to be declared effective under the Securities Act as promptly as possible after the filing thereof, but in any event (x) no later than the fifteenth (15th) calendar day following the filing of the Shelf Registration Statement in the event of no “review” by the Commission, (y) no later than the forty-fifth (45th) calendar day following the filing of the Shelf Registration Statement in the event of “limited review” by the Commission, or (z) in the event of a “review” by the Commission, no later than the sixtieth (60th) calendar day following the filing of the Shelf Registration Statement, and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to keep such Shelf Registration Statement continuously effective under the Securities Act until the date that all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement are no longer Registrable Securities, including, to the extent a Form S-1 Shelf was converted to a Form S-3 Shelf and the Company thereafter became ineligible to use Form S-3, by filing a Form S-1 Shelf not later than twenty (20) Business Days after the date of such ineligibility and using its commercially reasonable efforts to have such Registration Statement declared effective as promptly as practicable (but in no event more than thirty (30) days after the date of such filing) (the period during which the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to keep the Shelf Registration Statement continuously effective under the Securities Act in accordance with this clause (i), the “Shelf Period”). The Company shall notify the Holders named in the Shelf Registration Statement via facsimile or by e-mail of the effectiveness of a Shelf Registration Statement on the same Business Day that the Company telephonically confirms effectiveness with the Commission. The Company shall file a final Prospectus with the Commission to the extent required by Rule 424. The “Plan of Distribution” section of such Shelf Registration Statement shall provide for all permitted means of disposition of Registrable Securities, including firm-commitment underwritten public offerings, Alternative Transactions, agented transactions, sales directly into the market, purchases or sales by brokers and sales not involving a public offering and shall be substantially in the form provided on Exhibit A hereto.

(ii) Underwritten Shelf Takedown. At any time during the Shelf Period (subject to any Suspension Period), any one or more Initial Holders or Affiliated Holders of Registrable Securities (such Holder, a “Shelf Public Offering Requesting Holder”) may request to sell all or any portion of their Registrable Securities in an underwritten offering that is registered pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement (each, an “Underwritten Shelf Takedown” which term shall not include an Alternative Transaction); provided, that, and subject to Section 2(a)(v) below, the Company shall not be obligated to effect (x) more than three (3) underwritten Shelf Takedowns in any 12-month period for all Initial Holders and (y) any Underwritten Shelf Takedown if the aggregate proceeds expected to be received from the sale of the Registrable Securities requested to be sold in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown, in the good faith judgment of the managing underwriter(s) therefor, is less than $20 million.

(iii) Notice of Underwritten Shelf Takedown. All requests for Underwritten Shelf Takedowns shall be made by giving written notice to the Company (the “Shelf Takedown Notice”). Each Shelf Takedown Notice shall specify the class or series and the approximate number of Registrable Securities to be sold in the Underwritten Shelf

 

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Takedown and the expected price range (net of underwriting discounts and commissions) of such Underwritten Shelf Takedown. Subject to Section 3 below, within three (3) days after receipt of any Shelf Takedown Notice, the Company shall give written notice of such requested Underwritten Shelf Takedown (which notice shall state the material terms of such proposed Underwritten Shelf Takedown, to the extent known, as well as the identity of the Shelf Public Offering Requesting Holder) to all other Holders of Registrable Securities (the “Company Notice”) and, subject to the provisions of Section 2(a)(iv) and Section 3 below, shall include in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown all Registrable Securities of the same class or series as the Registrable Securities originally requested to be sold by the Shelf Public Offering Requesting Holder with respect to which the Company has received written requests for inclusion therein within five (5) Business Days after giving the Company Notice; provided, that any such Registrable Securities shall be sold subject to the same terms as are applicable to the Registrable Securities the Shelf Public Offering Requesting Holder is requesting to sell.

(iv) Priority of Registrable Shares. If the managing underwriters for such Underwritten Shelf Takedown advise the Company and the Holders of Registrable Securities proposed to be included in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown that in their reasonable view the number of Registrable Securities proposed to be included in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown exceeds the number of Registrable Securities which can be sold in an orderly manner in such offering within a price range acceptable to the Holders of a Majority of Included Registrable Securities requested to be included in the underwritten offering (the “Maximum Offering Size”), then the Company shall so advise all Holders of Registrable Securities proposed to be included in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown, and shall include in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown the number of Registrable Securities which can be so sold in the following order of priority, up to the Maximum Offering Size: (A) first, the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown by the Shelf Public Offering Requesting Holders, (B) second, and only if all the securities referred to in clause (A) have been included in such registration, the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown by the remaining Holders of such Registrable Securities and Other Registrable Securities requested to be included in such underwritten offering by any Notes Holder and/or Warrant Holder entitled to participate in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown, allocated, if necessary for the offering not to exceed the Maximum Offering Size, pro rata on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities and Other Registrable Securities requested to be included therein by each such Holder, Notes Holder and/or Warrant Holder, (C) third, and only if all securities referred to in clauses (A) and (B) have been included in such registration, any securities requested to be included in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown by the Company, and (D) fourth, and only if all securities referred to in clauses (A), (B) and (C) have been included in such registration, any Other Registrable Securities held by Persons other than Notes Holders and/or Warrant Holders requested to be included in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown to the extent permitted hereunder, allocated, if necessary for the offering not to exceed the Maximum Offering Size, pro rata among the respective holders of such Other Registrable Securities on the basis of the number of securities requested to be included therein by each such holder.

 

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(v) Selection of Bankers and Counsel. The Holders of a Majority of Included Registrable Securities requested to be included in an Underwritten Shelf Takedown shall have the right to select the investment banker(s) and manager(s) to administer the offering (which shall consist of one (1) or more reputable nationally recognized investment banks) and one (1) firm of legal counsel to represent all of the Holders (along with any reasonably necessary local counsel), in connection with such Underwritten Shelf Takedown; provided, that the Company shall select such investment banker(s), manager(s) and counsel (including local counsel) if such Holders of such Majority of Registrable Securities cannot so agree on the same within a reasonable time period.

(vi) Withdrawal from Registration. Any Holder whose Registrable Securities were to be included in any such registration pursuant to Section 2(a)(ii) may elect to withdraw any or all of its Registrable Securities therefrom, without prejudice to the rights of any such Holder or Holders to include Registrable Securities in any future registration (or registrations), by written notice to the Company delivered on or prior to the effective date of the relevant Underwritten Shelf Takedown.

(vii) WKSI Filing. Upon the Company first becoming a WKSI (the “WKSI Date”), (A) the Company shall give written notice to all of the Holders who hold Registrable Securities as promptly as practicable but in no event later than ten (10) Business Days thereafter, and such notice shall describe, in reasonable detail, the basis on which the Company has become a WKSI, and (B) the Company shall, in accordance with the following sentence, register, under an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement, the sale of all outstanding Registrable Securities in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to file such Automatic Shelf Registration Statement as promptly as practicable, but in no event later than twenty (20) days after the WKSI Date, and to cause such Automatic Shelf Registration Statement to remain effective thereafter until there are no longer any Registrable Securities; provided, that, the failure of the Company to remain a WKSI after the filing of such Automatic Shelf Registration Statement shall not be deemed to be a breach of its obligations hereunder. The Company shall give written notice of filing such Registration Statement to all of the Holders who hold Registrable Securities as promptly as practicable thereafter. At any time after the filing of an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement by the Company, if it is reasonably likely that the Company will no longer be a WKSI (the “Determination Date”), as promptly as practicable but in no event later than ten (10) days after such Determination Date, the Company shall give written notice thereof to all of the Holders and as promptly as practicable but in no event later than ten (10) days after such Determination Date file a Form S-3 Shelf, unless the Company is not then eligible to use Form S-3, in which case it shall use Form S-1 Shelf (or a post-effective amendment converting the Automatic Shelf Registration Statement to an appropriate form), covering all Registrable Securities, and use its commercially reasonable efforts to have such Registration Statement declared effective as promptly as practicable (but in no event more than (x) the fifteenth (15th) calendar day following the filing of the Registration Statement in the event of no “review” by the Commission, (y) the forty-fifth (45th) calendar day following the filing of the Registration Statement in the event of “limited review” by the Commission, or (z) in the event of a “review” by the Commission, the seventy-fifth (75th) calendar day following filing of the Registration

 

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Statement) after the date the Automatic Shelf Registration Statement is no longer useable by the Holders to sell their Registrable Securities, and keep such Registration Statement continuously effective under the Securities Act until there are no longer any Registrable Securities.

(viii) Adding Holders to Registration Statement. After the Registration Statement with respect to a Shelf Registration is declared effective but subject to the Suspension Period, upon written request by one or more Holders (which written request shall specify the amount of such Holders’ Registrable Securities to be registered), the Company shall, as promptly as practicable after receiving such request, (i) if it is a Seasoned Issuer or a WKSI, or if such Registration Statement is an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement, file a prospectus supplement to include such Holders as selling stockholders in such Registration Statement or (ii) if it is not a Seasoned Issuer or a WKSI, file a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement to include such Holders in such Shelf Registration and use commercially reasonable efforts to have such post-effective amendment declared effective.

(b) Demand Registration.

(i) Demand Registration Statement. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement (including Section 2(b)(iii)), at any time and from time to time after the Effective Date, upon written notice to the Company (a “Demand Notice”) delivered by a Holder that is an Initial Holder or Affiliated Holder or is at the time a Ten Percent Holder (such Person or Persons, the “Initiating Holder”) at any time requesting that the Company effect the registration (including an Initial Public Offering) (a “Demand Registration”) under the Securities Act (other than pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-4 or Form S-8 or any similar or successor form under the Securities Act) of any or all of the Registrable Securities held by such Holder, the Company shall promptly (but in any event, not later than five (5) Business Days following the Company’s receipt of such Demand Notice) give written notice of the receipt of such Demand Notice to all other Holders that, to its knowledge, hold Registrable Securities (each, a “Demand Eligible Holder”). The Company shall promptly file the appropriate Registration Statement (the “Demand Registration Statement”) and use its commercially reasonable efforts to effect, at the earliest practicable date, the registration under the Securities Act and under the applicable state securities laws of (1) the Registrable Securities which the Company has been so requested to register by the Initiating Holders in the Demand Notice, (2) all other Registrable Securities of the same class or series as those requested to be registered by the Initiating Holder which the Company has been requested to register by the Demand Eligible Holders by written request (the “Demand Eligible Holder Request”) given to the Company within ten (10) Business Days after the giving of such written notice by the Company, and (3) any Registrable Securities to be offered and sold by the Company, in each case subject to Section 2(b)(v), all to the extent required to permit the disposition (in accordance with the intended methods of disposition) of the Registrable Securities to be so registered. The Holders’ rights to request a Demand Registration set forth in this Section 2(b) shall not be exercisable at any time if the Company (i) (x) is not in violation of its obligations to file a Shelf Registration Statement pursuant to Section 2(a) or (y) has a currently effective Shelf Registration Statement covering all Registrable Securities in accordance with Section 2(a), and (ii) has otherwise complied with its obligations pursuant to this Agreement.

 

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(ii) Demand Registration Using Form S-3. The Company shall effect any requested Demand Registration using a registration statement on Form S-3 whenever the Company is a Seasoned Issuer or a WKSI, and shall use an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement if it is a WKSI. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement (including Section 2(b)(iii)), for so long as the Company remains a Seasoned Issuer or a WKSI, each Initial Holder and Affiliated Holder shall have the right to two (2) Demand Registrations using Form S-3, which shall not constitute a Demand Registration for purposes of determining the number of Demand Registrations limited under Section 2(b)(iii) below.

(iii) Other Demand Registrations. The Company shall only be required to (1) effect three (3) Demand Registrations in any six-month period, and (2) comply with a request for a Demand Registration if the aggregate gross proceeds expected to be received from the sale of the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such Demand Registration exceeds $20 million.

(iv) Effectiveness of Demand Registration Statement. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to have the Demand Registration Statement declared effective by the Commission and keep the Demand Registration Statement continuously effective under the Securities Act for the period of time necessary for the underwriters or Holders to sell all the Registrable Securities covered by such Demand Registration Statement or such shorter period which will terminate when all Registrable Securities covered by such Demand Registration Statement have been sold pursuant thereto (including, if necessary, by filing with the Commission a post-effective amendment or a supplement to the Demand Registration Statement or the related Prospectus or any document incorporated therein by reference or by filing any other required document or otherwise supplementing or amending the Demand Registration Statement, if required by the rules, regulations or instructions applicable to the registration form used by the Company for such Demand Registration Statement or by the Securities Act, any state securities or “blue sky” laws, or any other rules and regulations thereunder) (the “Effectiveness Period”). A Demand Registration requested pursuant to this Section 2(b) shall not be deemed to have been effected (A) if the Registration Statement is withdrawn without becoming effective, (B) if the Registration Statement does not remain effective in compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act and the laws of any state or other jurisdiction applicable to the disposition of the Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement for the Effectiveness Period, (C) if, after it has become effective, such Registration Statement is subject to any stop order, injunction or other order or requirement of the Commission or other governmental or regulatory agency or court for any reason other than a violation of applicable law solely by any selling Holder and has not thereafter become effective, (D) in the event of an underwritten offering, if the conditions to closing specified in the underwriting agreement entered into in connection with such registration are not satisfied or waived, (E) if the Company does not include in the applicable Registration Statement any Registrable Securities held by a Holder that is required by the terms hereof to be included in such Registration Statement, (F) if the

 

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Initiating Holders and Demand Eligible Holders have not been able to sell at least 75% of the Registrable Securities that they have requested to sell in the Demand Notice or Demand Eligible Holder Request or (G) if the number of Registrable Securities included on the applicable Registration Statement is reduced in accordance with Section 2(b)(v) such that less than 66 2/3% of the Registrable Securities of the Initiating Holders sought to be included in such registration are included.

(v) Priority of Registration. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 2(b), if (A) the Initiating Holders intend to distribute the Registrable Securities covered by a Demand Registration by means of an underwritten offering and (B) the managing underwriters advise the Company and the Initiating Holders that in their reasonable view, the number of Registrable Securities proposed to be included in such offering (including Registrable Securities requested by Holders to be included in such offering and any securities that the Company or any other Person proposes to be included that are not Registrable Securities) exceeds the Maximum Offering Size, then the Company shall so advise all Initiating Holders and Demand Eligible Holders with Registrable Securities proposed to be included in such underwritten offering, and shall include in such offering the number of Registrable Securities which can be so sold in the following order of priority, up to the Maximum Offering Size: (1) first, the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such underwritten offering by the Initiating Holders, (2) second, and only if all the securities referred to in clause (1) have been included in such registration, the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such underwritten offering by the Demand Eligible Holders and Other Registrable Securities requested to be included in such underwritten offering by any Notes Holder and/or Warrant Holder entitled to participate in such underwritten offering, allocated, if necessary for the offering not to exceed the Maximum Offering Size, pro rata on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities and Other Registrable Securities requested to be included therein by each such Demand Eligible Holder, Notes Holder and/or Warrant Holder, (3) third, and only if all the securities referred to in clauses (1) and (2) have been included in such registration, any securities proposed to be registered by the Company, and (4) fourth, and only if all the securities referred to in clauses (1), (2) and (3) have been included in such registration, any Other Registrable Securities held by Persons other than Notes Holders and/or Warrant Holders requested to be included in such underwritten offering to the extent permitted hereunder, allocated, if necessary for the offering not to exceed the Maximum Offering Size, pro rata among the respective holders of such Other Registrable Securities on the basis of the number of securities requested to be included therein by each such holder.

(vi) Underwritten Demand Registration. The determination of whether any offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Demand Registration will be an underwritten offering shall be made in the sole discretion of the Holders of a Majority of Included Registrable Securities included in such underwritten offering, and such Holders of a Majority of Included Registrable Securities included in such underwritten offering shall also have the right to (A) determine the plan of distribution, including the price at which the Registrable Securities are to be sold and the underwriting commissions, discounts and fees, and (B) select the investment banker(s) and manager(s) to administer the offering (which shall consist of one (1) or more reputable nationally recognized

 

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investment banks and one (1) firm of legal counsel to represent all of the Holders (along with any reasonably necessary local counsel), in connection with such Demand Registration; provided, that the Company shall select such investment banker(s), manager(s) and counsel (including local counsel) if the Holders of such Majority of Registrable Securities cannot so agree on the same within a reasonable time period.

(vii) Withdrawal of Registrable Securities. Any Holder whose Registrable Securities were to be included in any such registration pursuant to Section 2(b) may elect to withdraw any or all of its Registrable Securities therefrom, without prejudice to the rights of any such Holder or Holders to include Registrable Securities in any future registration (or registrations), by written notice to the Company delivered on or prior to the effective date of the relevant Demand Registration Statement.

(c) Piggyback Registration.

(i) Registration Statement on behalf of the Company. If at any time the Company proposes to file a Registration Statement, other than pursuant to a Shelf Registration under Section 2(a) or any Demand Registration under Section 2(b), to register any of its equity securities or Common Stock Equivalents (whether in connection with a public offering of Company Common Stock by the Company, a public offering of Company Common Stock by stockholders other than Holders, or both, but excluding an offering relating solely to an employee benefit plan, an offering relating to a transaction on Form S-4, a rights offering or an offering on any form of Registration Statement that does not permit secondary sales) (a “Piggyback Registration Statement”), the Company shall give prompt written notice (the “Piggyback Notice”) to all Holders that, to its knowledge, hold Registrable Securities (collectively, the “Piggyback Eligible Holders”) of the Company’s intention to file a Piggyback Registration Statement reasonably in advance of (and in any event at least ten (10) Business Days before) the anticipated filing date of such Piggyback Registration Statement. The Piggyback Notice shall offer the Piggyback Eligible Holders the opportunity to include for registration in such Piggyback Registration Statement the number of Registrable Securities of the same class and series as those proposed to be registered as they may request, subject to Section 2(c)(ii) (a “Piggyback Registration”). Subject to Section 2(c)(ii), the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to include in each such Piggyback Registration such Registrable Securities for which the Company has received written requests (each, a “Piggyback Request”) from Piggyback Eligible Holders within five (5) Business Days after giving the Piggyback Notice. If a Piggyback Eligible Holder decides not to include all of its Registrable Securities in any Piggyback Registration Statement thereafter filed by the Company, such Piggyback Eligible Holder shall nevertheless continue to have the right to include any Registrable Securities in any subsequent Piggyback Registration Statements or Registration Statements as may be filed by the Company with respect to offerings of Registrable Securities, all upon the terms and conditions set forth herein. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to effect the registration under the Securities Act of all Registrable Securities which the Company has been so requested to register pursuant to the Piggyback Requests, to the extent required to permit the disposition of the Registrable Securities so requested to be registered.

 

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(ii) Priority of Registration. If the Piggyback Registration under which the Company gives notice pursuant to Section 2(c)(i) is an underwritten offering, and the managing underwriter or managing underwriters of such offering advise the Company and the Piggyback Eligible Holders that, in their reasonable view, the amount of securities requested to be included in such registration (including Registrable Securities requested by the Piggyback Eligible Holders to be included in such offering and any securities that the Company or any other Person proposes to be included that are not Registrable Securities) exceeds the Maximum Offering Size (which, for the purposes of a Piggyback Registration shall be within a price range acceptable to the Company), then the Company shall so advise all Piggyback Eligible Holders with Registrable Securities proposed to be included in such Piggyback Registration, and shall include in such offering the number which can be so sold in the following order of priority, up to the Maximum Offering Size: (A) in the case of a Company initiated registration, (1) first, the securities that the Company proposes to sell, (2) second, and only if all the securities referred to in clause (1) have been included in such registration, the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such Piggyback Registration and any Other Registrable Securities requested to be included in such Piggyback Registration by Notes Holders and/or Warrant Holders entitled to participate therein, allocated, if necessary for the offering not to exceed the Maximum Offering Size, pro rata among the Piggyback Eligible Holders, Notes Holders and Warrant Holders on the basis of the number of securities requested to be included therein by each such holder, (3) third, and only if all the securities referred to in clauses (1) and (2) have been included in such registration, any Other Registrable Securities held by Persons other than the Notes Holders and/or Warrant Holders requested to be included in such Piggyback Registration, allocated, if necessary for the offering not to exceed the Maximum Offering Size, pro rata among the holders thereof on the basis of the number of securities requested to be included therein by each such holder and (B) in the case of a non-Company initiated registration, (1) first, the securities requested to be included in such offering by the holders of the Company’s securities initiating such registration, up to the Maximum Offering Size, (2) second, and only if all the securities referred to in clause (1) have been included in such registration, the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such Piggyback Registration and any Other Registrable Securities requested to be included in such Piggyback Registration by Notes Holders and/or Warrant Holders entitled to participate therein, allocated, if necessary for the offering not to exceed the Maximum Offering Size, pro rata among such holders on the basis of the number of securities requested to be included therein by each such holder, (3) third, and only if all the securities referred to in clauses (1) and (2) have been included in such registration, any securities requested to be included in such Piggyback Registration by the Company, and (4) fourth, and only if all the securities referred to in clauses (1), (2) and (3) have been included in such registration, any Other Registrable Securities held by Persons other than Notes Holders and/or Warrant Holders requested to be included in such offering to the extent permitted hereunder, allocated, if necessary for the offering not to exceed the Maximum Offering Size, pro rata among the respective holders of such Other Registrable Securities on the basis of the number of securities requested to be included therein by each such holder. All Piggyback Eligible Holders requesting to be included in the Piggyback Registration must sell their Registrable Securities to the underwriters selected as provided in Section 2(c)(iv) on the

 

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same terms and conditions as apply to the Company or the holder that initiated such registration. Promptly (and in any event within one (1) Business Day) following receipt of notification by the Company from the managing underwriter of a range of prices at which such Registrable Securities are likely to be sold, the Company shall so advise each Piggyback Eligible Holder requesting registration in such offering of such price. If any Piggyback Eligible Holder disapproves of the terms of any such underwritten offering (including the price offered by the underwriter(s) in such offering), such Piggyback Eligible Holder may elect to withdraw any or all of its Registrable Securities therefrom, without prejudice to the rights of any such Holder or Holders to include Registrable Securities in any future Piggyback Registration or other registration statement, by written notice to the Company and the managing underwriter(s) delivered on or prior to the effective date of such Piggyback Registration Statement. Any Registrable Securities withdrawn from such underwritten offering shall be excluded and withdrawn from the registration. For any Piggyback Eligible Holder that is a partnership, limited liability company, corporation or other entity, the partners, members, stockholders, Subsidiaries, parents and Affiliates of such Piggyback Eligible Holder, or the estates and Family Members of any such partners/members and retired partners/members and any trusts for the benefit of any of the foregoing Persons, shall be deemed to be a single “Piggyback Eligible Holder,” and any pro rata reduction with respect to such “Piggyback Eligible Holder” shall be based upon the aggregate amount of securities carrying registration rights owned by all entities and individuals included in such “Piggyback Eligible Holder,” as defined in this sentence.

(iii) Withdrawal from Registration. The Company shall have the right to terminate or withdraw any registration initiated by it under this Section 2(c) prior to the effective date of such Registration Statement, whether or not any Piggyback Eligible Holder has elected to include Registrable Securities in such Registration Statement, without prejudice, however, to the right of the Holders immediately to request that such registration be effected as a registration under Section 2(b) to the extent permitted thereunder and subject to the terms set forth therein. The Registration Expenses of such withdrawn registration shall be borne by the Company in accordance with Section 4 hereof.

(iv) Selection of Bankers and Counsel. If a Piggyback Registration pursuant to this Section 2(c) involves an underwritten offering, the Company shall have the right, in consultation with the Holders of a Majority of Included Registrable Securities included in such underwritten offering, to (A) determine the plan of distribution, including the price at which the Registrable Securities are to be sold and the underwriting commissions, discounts and fees and (B) select the investment banker or bankers and managers to administer the offering, including the lead managing underwriter or underwriters. Holders of a Majority of Included Registrable Securities included in such underwritten offering shall have the right to select one (1) firm of legal counsel to represent all of the Holders (along with any reasonably necessary local counsel), in connection with such Piggyback Registration; provided, that the Company shall select such counsel (including local counsel) if the Holders of such Majority of Registrable Securities cannot so agree on the same within a reasonable time period.

(v) Effect of Piggyback Registration. No registration effected under this Section 2(c) shall relieve the Company of its obligations to effect any registration of the offer and sale of Registrable Securities upon request under Section 2(a) or Section 2(b) hereof and no registration effected pursuant to this Section 2(c) shall be deemed to have been effected pursuant to Section 2(a) or Section 2(b) hereof.

 

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(d) Notice Requirements. Any Demand Notice, Demand Eligible Holder Request, Piggyback Request or Shelf Takedown Notice shall (i) specify the maximum number or class or series of Registrable Securities intended to be offered and sold by the Holder making the request, (ii) express such Holder’s bona fide intent to offer up to such maximum number of Registrable Securities for distribution, (iii) describe the nature or method of the proposed offer and sale of Registrable Securities (to the extent applicable), and (iv) contain the undertaking of such Holder to provide all such information and materials and take all action as may reasonably be required in order to permit the Company to comply with all applicable requirements in connection with the registration of such Registrable Securities.

(e) Suspension Period. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 2, the Company shall have the right but not the obligation to defer the filing of (but not the preparation of), or suspend the use by the Holders of, any Demand Registration or Shelf Registration for a period of up to forty-five (45) days (i) if an event occurs as a result of which the Registration Statement and any related Prospectus as then supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made at such time not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend the Registration Statement, file a new registration statement or supplement any related Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or the respective rules thereunder; (ii) if the Company is subject to any of its customary suspension or blackout periods, for all or part of such period; (iii) upon issuance by the Commission of a stop order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement with respect to Registrable Securities or the initiation of Proceedings with respect to such Registration Statement under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Securities Act; (iv) if the Company believes that any such registration or offering (x) should not be undertaken because it would reasonably be expected to materially interfere with any material corporate development or plan or (y) would require the Company, under applicable securities laws and other laws, to make disclosure of material nonpublic information that would not otherwise be required to be disclosed at that time and the Company believes in good faith that such disclosures at that time would not be in the Company’s best interests; provided that this exception (y) shall continue to apply only during the time that such material nonpublic information has not been disclosed and remains material; (v) if the Company elects at such time to offer Company Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company to (x) fund a merger, third-party tender offer or other business combination, acquisition of assets or similar transaction or (y) meet rating agency and other capital funding requirements; (vi) if the Company is pursuing a primary underwritten offering of Company Common Stock pursuant to a registration statement; provided that the Holders shall have Piggyback Registration rights with respect to such primary underwritten offering in accordance with and subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 2(c); or (vii) if any other material

 

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development would materially and adversely interfere with any such Demand Registration or Shelf Registration (any such period, a “Suspension Period”); provided, however, that in such event, the Initiating Holders will be entitled to withdraw any request for a Demand Registration and, if such request is withdrawn, such Demand Registration will not count as a Demand Registration as the Company will pay all Registration Expenses in connection with such registration, regardless of whether such registration is effected; and provided further, that in no event shall the Company declare a Suspension Period more than once in any twelve (12) month period or for more than an aggregate of forty five (45) days in any twelve (12) month period. The Company shall give written notice to the Holders of its declaration of a Suspension Period and of the expiration of the relevant Suspension Period. If the filing of any Demand Registration or Shelf Registration is suspended pursuant to this Section 2(e), once the Suspension Period ends, the Initiating Holder may request a new Demand Registration or a new Shelf Registration (neither such request shall be counted as an additional Demand Registration for purposes of subclause (1) of Section 2(b)(iii)).

(f) Required Information. The Company may require each Holder of Registrable Securities as to which any Registration Statement is being filed or sale is being effected to furnish to the Company such information regarding the distribution of such securities and such other information relating to such Holder and its ownership of Registrable Securities as the Company may from time to time reasonably request in writing (provided that such information shall be used only in connection with such registration) and the Company may exclude from such registration or sale the Registrable Securities of any such Holder who fails to furnish such information within a reasonable time after receiving such request. Each Holder agrees to furnish such information to the Company and to cooperate with the Company as reasonably necessary to enable the Company to comply with the provisions of this Agreement.

(g) Other Registration Rights Agreements. Except as may otherwise by contained in the Notes Registration Rights Agreement or the Warrant Registration Rights Agreement (in each case as of, and as in effect on, the date hereof), the Company has not entered into and, unless agreed in writing by each Holder on or after the date of this Agreement, will not enter into, any agreement that (i) is inconsistent with the rights granted to the Holders with respect to Registrable Securities in this Agreement or otherwise conflicts with the provisions hereof in any material respect or (ii) other than as set forth in this Agreement, would allow any holder of Company Common Stock to include Company Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents in any Registration Statement filed by the Company on a basis that is more favorable in any respect to the rights granted to the Holders hereunder.

(h) Cessation of Registration Rights. All registration rights granted under this Section 2 shall continue to be applicable with respect to any Holder until such Holder no longer holds any Registrable Securities.

 

3.

Alternative Transactions. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, (A) no Holder shall be entitled to any piggyback right or to participate as a Demand Eligible Holder under Section 2 in the event of an Alternative Transaction (including

 

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  Alternative Transactions off of a Shelf Registration Statement or an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement, or in connection with the registration of Registrable Securities under an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement for purposes of effectuating an Alternative Transaction; provided, that, any registration with respect to an Alternative Transaction shall not constitute a Demand Registration for purposes of determining the number of Demand Registrations effected by the Company under Section 2(b)(ii) and (iii) above), (B) no Holder, other than an Affiliated Holder, shall be permitted to request or participate in an underwritten offering (including an Underwritten Shelf Takedown) that is an Alternative Transaction, (C) an Affiliated Holder effecting an underwritten offering (including an Underwritten Shelf Takedown) that is an Alternative Transaction shall provide prompt notice (but in no event later than twenty-four (24) hours consisting of Business Days prior to such Alternative Transaction) to the Company and any other Affiliated Holder setting forth the proposed timeline for such offering to permit participation by such other Affiliated Holder in such offering, and such other Affiliated Holder shall be entitled to participate in such offering so long as the participation of such other Affiliated Holder does not materially delay the proposed timeline of such Alternative Transaction specified in the notice.

 

4. Registration Procedures. The procedures to be followed by the Company and each participating Holder to register the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement in accordance with this Agreement, and the respective rights and obligations of the Company and such Holders with respect to the preparation, filing and effectiveness of such Registration Statement, are as follows:

(a) The Company will (i) prepare and file a Registration Statement or a prospectus supplement, as applicable, with the Commission (within the time period specified in Section 2(a) or Section 2(b), as applicable, in the case of a Shelf Registration, an Underwritten Shelf Takedown or a Demand Registration) which Registration Statement (A) shall be on a form selected by the Company for which the Company qualifies, (B) shall be available for the sale or exchange of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method or methods of distribution, and (C) shall comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the applicable form and include and/or incorporate by reference all financial statements required by the Commission to be filed therewith, (ii) use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective and remain effective for the periods provided under Section 2(a) or Section 2(b), as applicable, in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement or a Demand Registration Statement, (iii) use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the occurrence of any event that would cause a Registration Statement to contain a material misstatement or omission or to be not effective and usable for resale of the Registrable Securities registered pursuant thereto (during the period that such Registration Statement is required to be effective as provided under Section 2(a) or Section 2(b)), and (iv) cause each Registration Statement and the related Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, as of the effective date of such Registration Statement, amendment or supplement (x) to comply in all material respects with any requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission and (y) not to contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

 

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The Company will, (1) at least five (5) Business Days prior to the anticipated filing of a Registration Statement or any related Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (including any documents incorporated by reference therein), or before using any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, furnish to such Holders, the Holders’ counsel and the managing underwriter or underwriters of an underwritten offering of Registrable Securities, if applicable, copies of all such documents proposed to be filed, (2) use its commercially reasonable efforts to address in each such document prior to being so filed with the Commission such comments as such Holder, its counsel or underwriter reasonably shall propose within three (3) Business Days of receipt of such copies by the Holders and (3) not file any Registration Statement or any related Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto containing information regarding a participating Holder to which a participating Holder objects.

(b) The Company will as promptly as reasonably practicable (i) prepare and file with the Commission such amendments, including post-effective amendments, and supplements to each Registration Statement and the Prospectus used in connection therewith as (A) may be reasonably requested by any Holder of Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement necessary to permit such Holder to sell in accordance with its intended method of distribution or (B) may be necessary under applicable law to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective with respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities covered thereby for the periods provided under Section 2(a) or Section 2(b), as applicable, in accordance with the intended method of distribution and, subject to the limitations contained in this Agreement, prepare and file with the Commission such additional Registration Statements in order to register for resale under the Securities Act all of the Registrable Securities held by the Holders, (ii) cause the related Prospectus to be amended or supplemented by any required prospectus supplement, and as so supplemented or amended, to be filed pursuant to Rule 424, (iii) respond to any comments received from the Commission with respect to each Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment thereto, and (iv) as promptly as reasonably practicable, provide such Holders true and complete copies of all correspondence from and to the Commission relating to such Registration Statement or Prospectus other than any comments that the Company determines in good faith would result in the disclosure to such Holders of material non-public information concerning the Company that is not already in the possession of such Holder.

(c) The Company will comply in all material respects with the provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act (including Regulation M under the Exchange Act) with respect to each Registration Statement and the disposition of all Registrable Securities covered by each Registration Statement.

(d) The Company will notify such Holders that, to its knowledge, hold Registrable Securities and the managing underwriter or underwriters of an underwritten offering of Registrable Securities, if applicable, as promptly as reasonably practicable: (i)(A) when a Registration Statement, any pre-effective amendment, any Prospectus or any prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement or any free writing prospectus is proposed to be filed; (B) when the Commission notifies the Company whether there will be a “review” of such Registration Statement and whenever the

 

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Commission comments on such Registration Statement (in which case the Company shall provide true and complete copies thereof and all written responses thereto to each Holder, its counsel and each underwriter, if applicable, other than information which the Company determines in good faith would constitute material non-public information that is not already in the possession of such Holder); and (C) with respect to each Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, when the same has been declared effective; (ii) of any request by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental or regulatory authority for amendments or supplements to a Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information (whether before or after the effective date of the Registration Statement) or any other correspondence with the Commission or any such authority relating to, or which may affect, the Registration Statement; (iii) of the issuance by the Commission or any other governmental or regulatory authority of any stop order, injunction or other order or requirement suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement covering any or all of the Registrable Securities or the initiation of any Proceedings for that purpose; (iv) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any Proceeding for such purpose; (v) if, at any time, the representations and warranties of the Company in any applicable underwriting agreement or similar agreement cease to be true and correct in all material respects; or (vi) of the occurrence of any event that makes any statement made in such Registration Statement or Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or if, as a result of such event or the passage of time, such Registration Statement, Prospectus or other documents requires revisions so that, in the case of such Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of the Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, or when any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus includes information that may conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or if, for any other reason, it shall be necessary during such time period to amend or supplement such Registration Statement or Prospectus in order to comply with the Securities Act, which shall correct such misstatement or omission or effect such compliance.

(e) The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to avoid the issuance of, or, if issued, obtain the withdrawal of (i) any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement or the use of any Prospectus, or (ii) any suspension of the qualification (or exemption from qualification) of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, at the earliest practicable moment, or if any such order or suspension is made effective during any Suspension Period, at the earliest practicable moment after the Suspension Period is over.

(f) During the Effectiveness Period or the Shelf Period, as applicable, the Company will furnish to each selling Holder and the managing underwriter or underwriters of an underwritten offering of Registrable Securities, if applicable, upon their request, without charge, at least one conformed copy of each Registration Statement and each amendment

 

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thereto and all exhibits to the extent requested by such selling Holder or underwriter (including those incorporated by reference) promptly after the filing of such documents with the Commission.

(g) The Company will promptly deliver to each selling Holder and the managing underwriter or underwriters of an underwritten offering of Registrable Securities, if applicable, without charge, as many copies of each Prospectus or Prospectuses (including each form of prospectus) and each amendment or supplement thereto as such selling Holder or underwriter may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities by such selling Holder or underwriter. The Company consents to the use of such Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto by each of the selling Holders and any applicable underwriter in connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable Securities covered by such Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto.

(h) The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to (i) register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement, no later than the time such Registration Statement is declared effective by the Commission, under all applicable securities laws (including the “blue sky” laws) of such jurisdictions each underwriter, if any, or any selling Holder shall reasonably request; (ii) keep each such registration or qualification effective during the period such Registration Statement is required to be kept effective under the terms of this Agreement and (iii) do any and all other acts and things which may be reasonably necessary or advisable to enable such underwriter, if any, and each selling Holder to consummate the disposition in each such jurisdiction of the Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement; provided, however, that the Company will not be required to (x) qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this subparagraph, (y) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction or (z) consent to general service of process (other than service of process in connection with such registration or qualification or any sale of Registrable Securities in connection therewith) in any such jurisdiction.

(i) The Company will cooperate with the Holders and the managing underwriter, if any, to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates or book-entry statements representing Registrable Securities to be sold, which certificates or book-entry statements shall be free of all restrictive legends, and to enable such Registrable Securities to be in such denominations and registered in such names as any such Holders or managing underwriter, as applicable, may reasonably request and instruct any transfer agent and registrar of Registrable Securities to release any stop transfer orders in respect thereof. At the request of any Holder or the managing underwriter, if any, the Company will promptly deliver or cause to be delivered an opinion or instructions to the transfer agent in order to allow the Registrable Securities to be sold from time to time free of all restrictive legends.

(j) Upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by Section 2(e)(i) or Section 4(d)(vi), as promptly as reasonably practicable, the Company will prepare a supplement or amendment, including a post-effective amendment, if required by

 

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applicable law, to the affected Registration Statement or a supplement to the related Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference or to the applicable Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered, no Registration Statement nor any Prospectus will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of a Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading and no Issuer Free Writing Prospectus will include information that conflicts with information contained in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, such that each selling Holder can resume disposition of such Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement or Prospectus.

(k) Selling Holders may distribute the Registrable Securities by means of an underwritten offering; provided that (i) such Holders provide to the Company a Shelf Takedown Notice or Demand Notice of their intention to distribute Registrable Securities by means of an underwritten offering, (ii) the right of any Holder to include such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such registration shall be conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such underwriting and the inclusion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in the underwriting to the extent provided herein, (iii) each Holder participating in such underwritten offering agrees to enter into customary agreements, including an underwriting agreement in customary form, and sell such Holder’s Registrable Securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Holders entitled to select the managing underwriter or managing underwriters hereunder (provided that any such Holder shall not be required to make any representations or warranties to or agreements with the Company or the underwriters other than representations, warranties, agreements and indemnities regarding such Holder, such Holder’s title to the Registrable Securities, such Holder’s intended method of distribution, the accuracy of information concerning such Holder as provided by or on behalf of such Holder, and any other representations required to be made by the Holder under applicable law, and the aggregate amount of the liability of such Holder in connection with such offering shall not exceed such Holder’s net proceeds from the disposition of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such offering) and (iv) each Holder participating in such underwritten offering completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, custody agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements. The Company hereby agrees with each Holder that, in connection with any underwritten offering in accordance with the terms hereof, it will negotiate in good faith and execute all indemnities, underwriting agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements, and will procure auditor “comfort” letters addressed to the underwriters in the offering from the Company’s independent certified public accountants or independent auditors (and, if necessary, any other independent certified public accountants or independent auditors of any Subsidiary of the Company or any business acquired by the Company for which financial statements and financial data are, or are required to be, included in the Registration Statement) in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by comfort letters as the underwriters reasonably request, dated the date of execution of the underwriting agreement and brought down to the closing under the underwriting agreement.

 

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(l) The Company will obtain for delivery to the underwriter or underwriters of an underwritten offering of Registrable Securities an opinion or opinions from counsel for the Company (including any local counsel reasonably requested by the underwriters) dated the most recent effective date of the Registration Statement or, in the event of an underwritten offering, the date of the closing under the underwriting agreement, in customary form, scope and substance, covering the matters customarily covered in opinions requested in sales of securities or underwritten offerings, which opinions shall be reasonably satisfactory to such underwriters and their counsel.

(m) For a reasonable period prior to the filing of any Registration Statement and throughout the Effectiveness Period or the Shelf Period, as applicable, the Company will make available upon reasonable notice at the Company’s principal place of business or such other reasonable place for inspection by a representative appointed by the Holders of a Majority of Included Registrable Securities covered by the applicable Registration Statement, by any managing underwriter or managing underwriters selected in accordance with this Agreement and by any attorney, accountant or other agent retained by such Holders or underwriter, such financial and other information and books and records of the Company, and cause the officers, employees, counsel and independent certified public accountants of the Company to respond to such inquiries, as shall be reasonably necessary (and in the case of counsel, not violate an attorney-client privilege in such counsel’s reasonable belief) to conduct a reasonable investigation within the meaning of Section 11 of the Securities Act.

(n) The Company will (i) provide and cause to be maintained a transfer agent and registrar for all Registrable Securities covered by the applicable Registration Statement from and after a date not later than the effective date of such Registration Statement and provide and enter into any reasonable agreements with a custodian for the Registrable Securities and (ii) not later than the effective date of the applicable Registration Statement, provide a CUSIP number for all Registrable Securities.

(o) The Company will cooperate with each Holder of Registrable Securities and each underwriter or agent participating in the disposition of Registrable Securities and their respective counsel in connection with any filings required to be made with FINRA and in performance of any due diligence investigations by any underwriter.

(p) The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission, the Trading Market, FINRA and any state securities authority, and make available to each Holder, as soon as reasonably practicable after the effective date of the Registration Statement, an earnings statement covering at least twelve (12) months which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158.

(q) The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus utilized in connection with any Prospectus complies in all material respects with the Securities Act, is filed in accordance with the Securities Act to the extent required thereby, is retained in accordance with the Securities Act to the extent required thereby and, when taken together with the related Prospectus, will not contain

 

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any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(r) In connection with any registration of Registrable Securities pursuant to this Agreement, the Company will take all commercially reasonable actions as are necessary or advisable in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of Registrable Securities by such Holders, including using commercially reasonable efforts to cause appropriate officers and employees to be available, on a customary basis and upon reasonable advance notice, to meet with prospective investors in presentations, meetings and road shows; provided, however that nothing in this Agreement shall require the Company to participate in any marketing effort that is longer than three business days or requires face to face meeting with investors more than once every ninety (90) days or more than three times in a twelve-month period.

(s) The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to list the Company Common Stock and any other Registrable Securities of any class or series covered by a Registration Statement on the New York Stock Exchange or The Nasdaq Global Market or any successor national securities exchange. Following the listing of the Company Common Stock and any other Registrable Securities on the New York Stock Exchange or The Nasdaq Global Market or any successor national securities exchange, the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to maintain such listing until each Holder has sold all of its Registrable Securities.

(t) The Company shall, if such registration for an underwritten offering is pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-3 or any similar short-form registration, include in such Registration Statement such additional information for marketing purposes as the managing underwriter(s) reasonably request(s).

(u) The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate in a timely manner with any reasonable and customary request of the Holders in respect of any Alternative Transaction, including entering into customary agreements with respect to such Alternative Transactions (and providing customary representations, warranties, covenants and indemnities in such agreements) as well as providing other reasonable assistance in respect of such Alternative Transactions of the type applicable to a public offering subject to this Section 4, to the extent customary for such transactions.

 

5. Registration Expenses. The Company shall bear all reasonable Registration Expenses incident to the Parties’ performance of or compliance with their respective obligations under this Agreement or otherwise in connection with any Demand Registration, Shelf Registration, Shelf Takedown Notice or Piggyback Registration (excluding any Selling Expenses), whether or not any Registrable Securities are sold pursuant to a Registration Statement.

Registration Expenses” shall include, without limitation, (i) all registration, qualification and filing fees and expenses (including fees and expenses (A) of the Commission or FINRA, (B) incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable Securities on the

 

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Trading Market, and (C) in compliance with applicable state securities or “Blue Sky” laws (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the underwriters in connection with blue sky qualifications of the Registrable Securities)); (ii) printing expenses (including expenses of printing certificates for the Company’s shares and of printing prospectuses); (iii) analyst or investor presentation or road show expenses of the Company and the underwriters, if any; (iv) messenger, telephone and delivery expenses; (v) reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel (including any local counsel), auditors and accountants for the Company (including the expenses incurred in connection with “comfort letters” required by or incident to such performance and compliance); (vi) the reasonable fees and disbursements of underwriters to the extent customarily paid by issuers or sellers of securities (including, if applicable, the fees and expenses of any “qualified independent underwriter” (and its counsel) that is required to be retained in accordance with the rules and regulations of FINRA; (vii) fees and expenses of any special experts retained by the Company; (viii) Securities Act liability insurance, if the Company so desires such insurance; (ix) reasonable fees and disbursements of one counsel (along with any reasonably necessary local counsel) representing all Holders mutually agreed by Holders of a Majority of Included Registrable Securities participating in the related registration; provided that if Initial Holders and Affiliated Holders have Registrable Securities included in any registration, reasonable fees and disbursements of up to two counsel and (x) fees and expenses payable in connection with any ratings of the Registrable Securities, including expenses relating to any presentations to rating agencies. In addition, the Company shall be responsible for all of its expenses incurred in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including expenses payable to third parties and including all salaries and expenses of the Company’s officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), the expense of any annual audit and any underwriting fees, discounts, selling commissions and stock transfer taxes and related legal and other fees applicable to securities sold by the Company and in respect of which proceeds are received by the Company. Each Holder shall pay any Selling Expenses applicable to the sale or disposition of such Holder’s Registrable Securities pursuant to any Demand Registration Statement or Piggyback Registration Statement, or pursuant to any Shelf Registration Statement under which such selling Holder’s Registrable Securities were sold, in proportion to the amount of such selling Holder’s shares of Registrable Securities sold in any offering under such Demand Registration Statement, Piggyback Registration Statement or Shelf Registration Statement.

 

6. Indemnification.

(a) If requested by a participating Holder, the Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each underwriter, if any, engaged in connection with any registration referred to in Section 2 and provide representations, covenants, opinions and other assurances to such underwriter in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such underwriter and the Company. Further, the Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each Holder, its partners, stockholders, equityholders, general partners, limited partners, managers, members and Affiliates and each of their respective officers and directors and any Person who controls any such Holder (within the meaning of the Securities Act) and any employee, attorney or Representative thereof (collectively, “Indemnified Persons”), to the

 

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fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, joint or several, costs (including reasonable costs of preparation and reasonable attorneys’, accountants’ and experts’ fees) and expenses, judgments, fines, penalties, interest, settlements or other amounts arising from any and all Proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, in which any Indemnified Person may be involved, or is threatened to be involved, as a party or otherwise, under the Securities Act or otherwise (collectively, “Losses”), as incurred, arising out of, based upon, resulting from or relating to (i) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement under which any Registrable Securities were registered, Prospectus (including in any preliminary prospectus (if used prior to the effective date of such Registration Statement)), or in any summary or final prospectus or free writing prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any documents incorporated by reference in any of the foregoing or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements made therein not misleading, or (iii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of any federal, state or common law rule or regulation relating to action or inaction in connection with any Company provided information in such registration, disclosure document or related document or report, and the Company will reimburse such Indemnified Person for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by it in connection with investigating or defending any such Proceeding; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable to any Indemnified Person to the extent that any such Losses arise out of, are based upon or results from an untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in such Registration Statement, such preliminary, summary or final prospectus or free writing prospectus or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of such Indemnified Person specifically for use in the preparation thereof.

(b) In connection with any Registration Statement filed by the Company pursuant to Section 2 hereof in which a Holder has registered for sale its Registrable Securities, each such selling Holder agrees (severally and not jointly) to indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company, its directors and officers, Affiliates, employees, agents and each Person who controls the Company (within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act) from and against any Losses resulting from (i) any untrue statement of a material fact in any Registration Statement under which such Registrable Securities were registered or sold under the Securities Act (including any final, preliminary or summary Prospectus contained therein or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any documents incorporated by reference therein) or (ii) any omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information furnished in writing by or on behalf of such selling Holder to the Company specifically for inclusion in such Registration Statement or Prospectus and has not been corrected in a subsequent writing prior to the sale of the Registrable Securities to the Indemnified Person asserting the claim. In no event shall the liability of any selling Holder hereunder be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the net proceeds received by such Holder under the sale of Registrable Securities giving rise to such indemnification obligation less any amounts

 

28


paid by such Holder in connection with such sale and any amounts paid by such Holder as a result of liabilities incurred under the underwriting agreement, if any, related to such sale.

(c) Any indemnified person shall (i) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification (provided that any delay or failure to so notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve the indemnifying party of its obligations hereunder except to the extent, if at all, that it is actually and materially prejudiced by reason of such delay or failure) and (ii) permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party; provided, however, that any indemnified person shall have the right to select and 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 indemnified person unless (A) the indemnifying party has agreed in writing to pay such fees or expenses, (B) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume the defense of such claim within a reasonable time after receipt of notice of such claim from the indemnified person and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified person, (C) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based upon advice of its counsel) that there may be legal defenses available to it or other indemnified persons that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party, or (D) in the reasonable judgment of any such indemnified person (based upon advice of its counsel) a conflict of interest may exist between such indemnified person and the indemnifying party with respect to such claims (in which case, if the indemnified person notifies the indemnifying party in writing that such indemnified 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 indemnified person). No action may be settled without the consent of the indemnifying party, provided that the consent of the indemnified party shall not be required if (A) such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party in form and substance satisfactory to such indemnified party from all liability on the claims that are the subject matter of such settlement; (B) such settlement provides for the payment by the indemnifying party of money as the sole relief for such action and (C) such settlement does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party. It is understood that the indemnifying party or parties shall not, except as specifically set forth in this Section 6(c), in connection with any Proceeding or related Proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees, disbursements or other charges of more than one separate firm admitted to practice in such jurisdiction at any one time. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 6(c), no selling Holder shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the net proceeds (after deducting the underwriters’ discounts and commissions) received by such selling Holder in the offering. No Person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any Person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. Each selling Holder’s obligation to contribute pursuant to this Section 6(c) is several in the proportion that the proceeds of the offering received by such selling Holder bears to the total proceeds of the offering received by all such selling Holders and not joint.

 

29


The remedies provided for in this Section 6 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.

 

7. Facilitation of Sales Pursuant to Rule 144. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to timely file the reports required to be filed by it under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act and the rules adopted by the Commission thereunder (including the reports under Sections 13 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act referred to in subparagraph (c)(1) of Rule 144), and shall take such further action as any Holder may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable the Holders to sell Registrable Securities without registration under the Securities Act within the limitations of the exemption provided by Rule 144. Upon the written request of any Holder in connection with that Holder’s sale pursuant to Rule 144, the Company shall deliver to such Holder a written statement as to whether it has complied with such requirements.

 

8. Miscellaneous.

(a) Remedies. In the event of a breach by the Company of any of its obligations under this Agreement, each Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law and under this Agreement, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Agreement. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not provide adequate compensation for any losses incurred by reason of a breach by it of any of the provisions of this Agreement and further agrees that, in the event of any action for specific performance in respect of such breach, it shall waive the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate and shall waive any requirement for the posting of a bond.

(b) Discontinued Disposition. Each Holder agrees by its acquisition of Registrable Securities that, upon receipt of a notice from the Company of the occurrence of any event of the kind described in clauses (ii) through (iv) and (vi) of Section 4(d) or the occurrence of a Suspension Period, such Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities under the Registration Statement until such Holder’s receipt of the copies of the supplemental Prospectus or amended Registration Statement or until it is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the applicable Prospectus may be resumed, and, in either case, has received copies of any additional or supplemental filings that are incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus or Registration Statement. The Company may provide appropriate stop orders to enforce the provisions of this Section 8(b). In the event the Company shall give any such notice, the period during which the applicable Registration Statement is required to be maintained effective shall be extended by the number of days during the period from and including the date of the giving of such notice to and including the date when each seller of Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement either receives the copies of the supplemented or amended Prospectus or is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed.

(c) Amendments. No modification, amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be effective against the Company unless such modification, amendment

 

30


or waiver is approved in writing by the Company. 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 each of the Holders.

(d) Waivers. No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of any Party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right.

(e) Termination and Effect of Termination. This Agreement shall terminate with respect to each Holder when such Holder no longer holds any Registrable Securities and will terminate in full when no Holder holds any Registrable Securities, except for the provisions of Sections 6, which shall survive any such termination. No termination under this Agreement shall relieve any Person of liability for breach or Registration Expenses incurred prior to termination. In the event this Agreement is terminated, each Person entitled to indemnification rights pursuant to Section 6 shall retain such indemnification rights with respect to any matter that (i) may be an indemnified liability thereunder and (ii) occurred prior to such termination.

(f) Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile or electronic mail as specified in this Section 8(f) prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York time) on a Business Day, (ii) the Business Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile or electronic mail as specified in this Agreement later than 5:00 p.m. (New York time) on any date and earlier than 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on such date, (iii) the Business Day following the date of mailing, if sent by nationally recognized overnight courier service or (iv) upon actual receipt by the Party to whom such notice is required to be given. The address for such notices and communications shall be as follows (or at such other address as shall be given in writing by any Party to the other Parties):

If to the Company:

 

 

Goodrich Petroleum Corporation

801 Louisiana, Suite 700

Houston, Texas 77002

  Attention:    Michael J. Killelea, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
  Facsimile:    (713) 780-9254
  Email:    Mike.Killelea@goodrichpetroleum.com

If to any other Person who is then a Holder, to the address of such Holder as it appears on the signature pages hereto or such other address as may be designated in writing hereafter by such Person.

 

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(g) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties hereto and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors, legal representatives and Permitted Assignees, provided, that, all of the following additional conditions are satisfied: (i) the transfer was made in accordance with applicable securities laws; (ii) such Permitted Assignee agrees in writing to become subject to the terms of this Agreement; (iii) the Company is given written notice by such Holder of such transfer, stating the name and address of the Permitted Assignee. Nothing in this Section 8(g) shall affect any restrictions on transfer contained in any other contract by and among the Company and any of the Holders, or by and among any of the Holders. The Company may not assign its respective rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Holder.

(h) Governing Law. This Agreement and all claims arising out of or based upon this Agreement or relating to the subject matter hereof shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the domestic substantive laws of the State of New York without giving effect to any choice or conflict of laws provision or rule that would cause the application of the domestic substantive laws of any other jurisdiction.

(i) Submission to Jurisdiction. Each of the Parties, by its execution of this Agreement, (i) hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and the state courts sitting in the State of New York, County of New York for the purpose of any Proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or relating to the subject matter hereof, (ii) hereby waives to the extent not prohibited by applicable law, and agrees not to assert, and agrees not to allow any of its Subsidiaries to assert, by way of motion, as a defense or otherwise, in any such action, any claim that it is not subject personally to the jurisdiction of the above-named courts, that its property is exempt or immune from attachment or execution, that any such Proceeding brought in one of the above-named courts is improper, or that this Agreement or the subject matter hereof or thereof may not be enforced in or by such court and (iii) hereby agrees not to commence or maintain any Proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or relating to the subject matter hereof or thereof other than before one of the above-named courts nor to make any motion or take any other action seeking or intending to cause the transfer or removal of any such Proceeding to any court other than one of the above-named courts whether on the grounds of inconvenient forum or otherwise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that any party hereto is or becomes a party in any litigation in connection with which it may assert indemnification rights set forth in this Agreement, the court in which such litigation is being heard shall be deemed to be included in clause (i) above. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any party to this Agreement may commence and maintain an action to enforce a judgment of any of the above-named courts in any court of competent jurisdiction. Each party hereto hereby consents to service of process in any such Proceeding in any manner permitted by New York law, and agrees that service of process by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, at its address specified pursuant to Section 8(f) hereof is reasonably calculated to give actual notice.

(j) Waiver of Venue. The Parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, (i) any objection that they may now or

 

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hereafter have to the laying of venue of any Proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement in any court referred to in Section 8(i) and (ii) the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such Proceeding in any such court.

(k) Cumulative Remedies. The remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any remedies provided by law.

(l) Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the Parties shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the Parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.

(m) Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with each of the other Transaction Documents, constitutes the entire agreement among the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior contracts or agreements with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes any and all prior or contemporaneous discussions, agreements and understandings, whether oral or written, that may have been made or entered into by or among any of the Parties or any of their respective Affiliates relating to the transactions contemplated hereby.

(n) Execution of Agreement. This Agreement may be executed and delivered (by facsimile, by electronic mail in portable document format (.pdf) or otherwise) in any number of counterparts, each of which, when executed and delivered, shall be deemed an original, and all of which together shall constitute the same agreement.

(o) Determination of Ownership. In determining ownership of Company Common Stock hereunder for any purpose, the Company may rely solely on the records of the transfer agent for the Company Common Stock from time to time, or, if no such transfer agent exists, the Company’s stock ledger.

(p) Headings; Section References. The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.

(q) No Recourse. Notwithstanding anything that may be expressed or implied in this Agreement, and notwithstanding the fact that certain of the Holders may be partnerships or limited liability companies, each Holder covenants, agrees and acknowledges that no recourse under this Agreement or any documents or instruments delivered in connection with this Agreement shall be had against any of the Company’s or the Holder’s former, current or future direct or indirect equity holders, controlling persons, stockholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, Affiliates, members, financing sources, managers, general or limited partners or assignees (each, a “Related Party” and collectively, the

 

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Related Parties”), in each case other than the Company, the Holders or any of their respective assignees under this Agreement, whether by the enforcement of any assessment or by any legal or equitable Proceeding, or by virtue of any applicable law, it being expressly agreed and acknowledged that no personal liability whatsoever shall attach to, be imposed on or otherwise be incurred by any of the Related Parties, as such, for any obligation or liability of the Company or the Holders under this Agreement or any documents or instruments delivered in connection herewith for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or liabilities or their creation; provided, however, nothing in this Section 8(q) shall relieve or otherwise limit the liability of the Company or any Holder, as such, for any breach or violation of its obligations under this Agreement or such agreements, documents or instruments.

(r) Recapitalizations, Exchanges, etc. The provisions of this Agreement shall apply to the full extent set forth herein with respect to (a) the Company Common Stock, (b) any and all securities into which shares of Company Common Stock are converted, exchanged or substituted in any recapitalization or other capital reorganization by the Company and (c) any and all equity securities of the Company or any successor or assign of the Company (whether by merger, consolidation, sale of assets or otherwise) which may be issued in respect of, in conversion of, in exchange for or in substitution of, the Company Common Stock and shall be appropriately adjusted for any stock dividends, splits, reverse splits, combinations, recapitalizations and the like occurring after the date hereof. The Company shall cause any successor or assign (whether by merger, consolidation, sale of assets or otherwise) to assume the obligations of the Company under this Agreement or enter into a new registration rights agreement with the Holders on terms substantially the same as this Agreement as a condition of any such transaction.

(s) Governing Documents. In the event of any conflict between the terms and provisions of Section 8 of this Agreement and those contained in the Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws or other similar governing documents of the Company, the terms and provisions of Section 8 of this Agreement shall govern and control to the maximum extent permitted by DGCL.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Registration Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION
By:  

/s/ Michael J. Killelea

Name:   Michael J. Killelea
Title:   Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK,

SIGNATURE PAGES OF HOLDERS TO FOLLOW]

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement (Franklin)


FRANKLIN ADVISERS, INC. as Investment Manager on behalf of the certain funds and accounts listed on Schedule I

 

By:  

/s/ Glenn Voyles

  Name:   Glenn Voyles
  Title:   VP/Director of Portfolio Management

 

Address:   Franklin Advisers Inc.
  c/o Chris Chen
  1 Franklin Pkwy
  San Mateo, CA 94403

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement (Franklin)


SCHEDULE I

 

    FTIF-Templeton Global High Yield Fund

 

    Franklin Institutional Global High Yield

 

    FT Opportunistic Distressed Fund, Ltd.

 

    CIGNA Pension Plan

 

    Franklin Templeton SinoAm Global High Yield Bond Fund

 

    Cigna Health & Life Insurance Company

 

    Connecticut General Life

 

    Life Insurance Company of North America

 

    FTIF-Franklin Global High Income Bond Fund

 

    Mercer Multi Asset Growth Fund

 

    FTIF-Franklin Global Corporate High Yield Fund

 

    Mercer Opportunistic Fixed Income Fund

 

    CIGNA Pension Plan for Certain Former Employees

 

    Menard, Inc.

 

    Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS)

 

    Franklin Universal Trust

 

    FHIT-Franklin High Income Fund

 

    FCF-Franklin Income Fund

 

    FTIF-Franklin High Yield Fund

 

    Franklin High Income Fund

 

    FTVIPT-Franklin High Income VIP Fund


EXHIBIT A

Form of Plan of Distribution

The Shares being registered are currently owned or, with respect to certain Selling Stockholders, may be acquired by the Selling Stockholder upon exercise of warrants to purchase our common stock. The selling stockholders, which as used herein includes donees, pledgees, transferees or other successors-in-interest selling shares of common stock or interests in shares of common stock received after the date of this prospectus from a selling stockholder as a gift, pledge, partnership distribution or other transfer, or acquires common stock upon exercise of warrants received from a Selling Stockholder may, from time to time, sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any or all of their shares of common stock or interests in shares of common stock on any stock 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 stockholders may use any one or more of the following methods when disposing of 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;

 

    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;

 

    short sales effected after the date the registration statement of which this Prospectus is a part is declared effective by the SEC;

 

    through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether through an options exchange or otherwise;

 

    broker-dealers may agree with the selling stockholders to sell a specified number of such shares at a stipulated price per share; and

 

    a combination of any such methods of sale.

The selling stockholders may, from time to time, pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of the shares of common stock owned by them and, if they default in the performance of their secured obligations, the pledgees or secured parties may offer and sell the shares of common stock, from time to time, under this prospectus, or under an amendment to this prospectus under Rule 424(b)(3) or other applicable provision of the Securities Act amending the list of selling stockholders to include the pledgee, transferee or other successors in interest as selling stockholders under this prospectus. The selling stockholders also may transfer the shares of common stock 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 our common stock or interests therein, the selling stockholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of the common stock in the course of hedging the positions they assume. The selling stockholders may also sell shares of our common stock short and deliver these securities to close out their short positions, or loan or pledge the common stock to broker-dealers that in turn may sell these securities. The selling stockholders may also enter into option or other transactions 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 aggregate proceeds to the selling stockholders from the sale of the common stock offered by them will be the purchase price of the common stock less discounts or commissions, if any. Each of the selling stockholders 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 stock to be made directly or through agents. We will not receive any of the proceeds from this offering. Upon any exercise of the warrants by payment of cash, however, we will receive the exercise price of the warrants.

The selling stockholders also may resell all or a portion of the shares in open market transactions in reliance upon Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, provided that they meet the criteria and conform to the requirements of that rule.

The selling stockholders and any underwriters, broker-dealers or agents that participate in the sale of the common stock or interests therein may be “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(11) of the Securities Act. Any discounts, commissions, concessions or profit they earn on any resale of the shares may be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. Selling stockholders who are “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(11) of the Securities Act will be subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act.

To the extent required, the shares of our common stock to be sold, the names of the selling stockholders, the respective purchase prices and public offering prices, the names of any agents, dealer or underwriter, any applicable commissions or discounts with respect to a particular offer will be set forth in an accompanying prospectus supplement or, if appropriate, a post-effective amendment to the registration statement that includes this prospectus.

In order to comply with the securities laws of some states, if applicable, the common stock may be sold in these jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states the common stock may not be sold unless it has been registered or qualified for sale or an exemption from registration or qualification requirements is available and is complied with.

We have advised the selling stockholders that the anti-manipulation rules of Regulation M under the Exchange Act may apply to sales of shares in the market and to the activities of the selling stockholders and their affiliates. In addition, we will make copies of this prospectus (as it may be supplemented or amended from time to time) available to the selling stockholders for the purpose of satisfying the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act. The selling stockholders may indemnify any broker-dealer that participates in transactions involving the sale of the shares against certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act.

We have agreed to indemnify the selling stockholders against liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act and state securities laws, relating to the registration of the shares offered by this prospectus.