Exhibit 2.1
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
by and among:
ensysce biosciences, Inc.,
a Delaware corporation;
PHRMA MERGER SUB I, INC.,
a Delaware corporation;
PHRMA MERGER SUB II, LLC,
a Delaware limited liability company;
and
Cy Biopharma, Inc.,
a Delaware corporation
dated as of August 5, 2026
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | |||
| SECTION 1. | DESCRIPTION OF TRANSACTION | 3 | |
| 1.1 | The Merger | 3 | |
| 1.2 | Effects of the Merger | 3 | |
| 1.3 | Closing; First Effective Time; Second Effective Time | 4 | |
| 1.4 | Certificate of Designation; Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws; Directors and Officers. | 4 | |
| 1.5 | Merger Consideration; Effect of Merger on Company Capital Stock | 5 | |
| 1.6 | Conversion of Shares | 5 | |
| 1.7 | Closing of the Company’s Transfer Books | 7 | |
| 1.8 | Exchange of Shares | 7 | |
| 1.9 | Appraisal Rights. | 8 | |
| 1.10 | Further Action | 9 | |
| 1.11 | Withholding | 9 | |
| SECTION 2. | REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY | 9 | |
| 2.1 | Due Organization; Subsidiaries | 9 | |
| 2.2 | Organizational Documents | 10 | |
| 2.3 | Authority; Binding Nature of Agreement. | 10 | |
| 2.4 | Vote Required | 10 | |
| 2.5 | Non-Contravention; Consents | 11 | |
| 2.6 | Capitalization. | 12 | |
| 2.7 | Financial Statements | 13 | |
| 2.8 | Absence of Changes | 14 | |
| 2.9 | Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities | 15 | |
| 2.10 | Title to Assets | 16 | |
| 2.11 | Real Property; Leasehold | 16 | |
| 2.12 | Intellectual Property; Privacy | 16 | |
| 2.13 | Agreements, Contracts and Commitments | 19 | |
| 2.14 | Compliance; Permits; Restrictions | 21 | |
| 2.15 | Legal Proceedings; Orders | 21 | |
| 2.16 | Tax Matters | 22 | |
| 2.17 | Employee and Labor Matters; Benefit Plans | 23 | |
| 2.18 | Environmental Matters | 26 | |
| 2.19 | Insurance | 27 | |
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
| Page | |||
| 2.20 | No Financial Advisors | 27 | |
| 2.21 | Transactions with Affiliates | 27 | |
| 2.22 | Anti-Bribery | 27 | |
| 2.23 | Disclaimer of Other Representations or Warranties | 28 | |
| SECTION 3. | REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT AND MERGER SUBS | 28 | |
| 3.1 | Due Organization; Subsidiaries | 28 | |
| 3.2 | Organizational Documents | 29 | |
| 3.3 | Authority; Binding Nature of Agreement | 29 | |
| 3.4 | Vote Required | 30 | |
| 3.5 | Non-Contravention; Consents | 30 | |
| 3.6 | Capitalization | 31 | |
| 3.7 | SEC Filings; Financial Statements | 33 | |
| 3.8 | Absence of Changes | 35 | |
| 3.9 | Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities | 37 | |
| 3.10 | Title to Assets | 37 | |
| 3.11 | Real Property; Leasehold | 37 | |
| 3.12 | Intellectual Property; Privacy | 38 | |
| 3.13 | Agreements, Contracts and Commitments | 41 | |
| 3.14 | Compliance; Permits | 43 | |
| 3.15 | Legal Proceedings; Orders | 43 | |
| 3.16 | Tax Matters | 43 | |
| 3.17 | Employee and Labor Matters; Benefit Plans | 45 | |
| 3.18 | Environmental Matters | 48 | |
| 3.19 | Transactions with Affiliates | 49 | |
| 3.20 | Insurance | 49 | |
| 3.21 | Opinion of Financial Advisor | 49 | |
| 3.22 | No Financial Advisors | 49 | |
| 3.23 | Anti-Bribery | 49 | |
| 3.24 | Valid Issuance | 49 | |
| 3.25 | 3i Agreement | 50 | |
| 3.26 | Disclaimer of Other Representations or Warranties | 50 | |
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
| Page | |||
| SECTION 4. | ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES | 50 | |
| 4.1 | Parent Stockholders’ Meeting | 50 | |
| 4.2 | Proxy Statement | 51 | |
| 4.3 | Reservation of Parent Common Stock; Issuance of Shares of Parent Common Stock | 52 | |
| 4.4 | Employee Benefits | 53 | |
| 4.5 | Indemnification of Officers and Directors | 53 | |
| 4.6 | Additional Agreements | 54 | |
| 4.7 | Listing | 55 | |
| 4.8 | Tax Matters | 55 | |
| 4.9 | Legends | 55 | |
| 4.10 | Directors and Officers | 55 | |
| 4.11 | Section 16 Matters | 56 | |
| 4.12 | Closing Certificates | 56 | |
| 4.13 | Takeover Statutes | 56 | |
| 4.14 | Obligations of Merger Subs | 56 | |
| 4.15 | Private Placement | 57 | |
| 4.16 | Issuance of Parent RSUs | 57 | |
| 4.17 | Use of Proceeds | 57 | |
| SECTION 5. | CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO OBLIGATIONS OF EACH PARTY | 57 | |
| 5.1 | No Restraints | 57 | |
| 5.2 | Certificate of Designation | 57 | |
| 5.3 | Parent Financing | 57 | |
| SECTION 6. | CLOSING DELIVERIES OF THE COMPANY | 58 | |
| 6.1 | Documents | 58 | |
| 6.2 | FIRPTA Certificate | 58 | |
| 6.3 | Company Lock-Up Agreements | 58 | |
| 6.4 | Company Stockholder Support Agreements | 58 | |
| 6.5 | Registration Rights Agreements | 58 | |
| SECTION 7. | CLOSING DELIVERIES OF PARENT | 58 | |
| 7.1 | Documents | 58 | |
| 7.2 | Parent Lock-Up Agreements | 59 | |
| 7.3 | Registration Rights Agreements | 59 | |
| -iii- |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
| Page | |||
| SECTION 8. | MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS | 59 | |
| 8.1 | Non-Survival of Representations and Warranties | 59 | |
| 8.2 | Amendment | 59 | |
| 8.3 | Waiver | 59 | |
| 8.4 | Entire Agreement; Counterparts; Exchanges by Electronic Transmission | 59 | |
| 8.5 | Applicable Law; Jurisdiction | 60 | |
| 8.6 | Attorneys’ Fees | 60 | |
| 8.7 | Assignability | 60 | |
| 8.8 | Notices | 60 | |
| 8.9 | Cooperation | 61 | |
| 8.10 | Severability | 61 | |
| 8.11 | Other Remedies; Specific Performance | 62 | |
| 8.12 | No Third-Party Beneficiaries | 62 | |
| 8.13 | Construction | 62 | |
| 8.14 | Expenses | 63 | |
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Exhibits:
| Exhibit A | Definitions | A-1 |
| Exhibit B | Form of Lock-Up Agreement | B-1 |
| Exhibit C | Form of Certificate of Designation | C-1 |
| Exhibit D | Form of Parent Stockholder Support Agreement | D-1 |
| Exhibit E | Form of Company Stockholder Support Agreement | E-1 |
| Exhibit F | Letter of Transmittal | F-1 |
| Exhibit G | Registration Rights Agreement | G-1 |
| -v- |
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
THIS AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER (this “Agreement”) is made entered into as of August 5, 2026, by and among ENSYSCE BIOSCIENCES, INC., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), PHRMA MERGER SUB I, INC., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (“First Merger Sub”), PHRMA MERGER SUB II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (“Second Merger Sub” and together with First Merger Sub, “Merger Subs”), and CY BIOPHARMA, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), (each, a “Party” and collectively, the “Parties”). Certain capitalized terms used in this Agreement are defined in Exhibit A.
RECITALS
A. Parent and the Company desire to enter into a business combination as contemplated by this Agreement based on the mutually agreed values of each of Parent and the Company.
B. Parent and the Company intend to effect a merger of First Merger Sub with and into the Company (the “First Merger”) in accordance with this Agreement and the DGCL. Upon consummation of the First Merger, First Merger Sub will cease to exist and the Company will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent.
C. Immediately following the First Merger and as part of the same overall transaction as the First Merger, the Company will merge with and into Second Merger Sub (the “Second Merger” and, together with the First Merger, the “Merger”), with Second Merger Sub being the surviving entity of the Second Merger.
D. The Parties intend that: (i) the First Merger and the Second Merger, taken together, will constitute an integrated transaction described in Rev. Rul. 2001-46, 2001-2 C.B. 321, that qualifies as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code, and (ii) this Agreement will constitute, and is hereby adopted as, a plan of reorganization within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Sections 1.368-2(g) and 1.368-3(a).
E. The Parent Board has: (i) determined that the Contemplated Transactions are fair to, advisable and in the best interests of Parent and its stockholders (“Parent Stockholders”), (ii) approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions, including the issuance of the Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares to the stockholders of the Company (“Company Stockholders”) pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and (iii) determined to recommend, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, that the Parent Stockholders vote to approve the Parent Stockholder Matters at the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting to be convened following the Closing.
F. The First Merger Sub Board has: (i) determined that the Contemplated Transactions are fair to, advisable, and in the best interests of First Merger Sub and its sole stockholder, (ii) approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions, and (iii) determined to recommend, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, that the sole stockholder of First Merger Sub votes to adopt this Agreement and thereby approve the Contemplated Transactions.
G. The sole member of the Second Merger Sub has (i) determined that the Contemplated Transactions are fair to, advisable, and in the best interests of Second Merger Sub and its sole member, (ii) approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions, and (iii) determined to recommend, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, that the sole member of Second Merger Sub votes to adopt this Agreement and thereby approve the Contemplated Transactions.
H. The Company Board has: (i) determined that the Contemplated Transactions are fair to, advisable and in the best interests of the Company Stockholders, (ii) approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions, and (iii) recommended, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, that the Company Stockholders vote to approve the Company Stockholder Matters (collectively, the “Board Approval”).
I. Subsequent to the Board Approval, but prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, Company Stockholders holding a majority of the outstanding Company Capital Stock, by written consent and in accordance with the Company’s certificate of incorporation, the Company’s bylaws and the DGCL: (i) approved and adopted this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions, (ii) acknowledged that the approval given thereby is irrevocable and that such stockholder is aware of its rights to demand appraisal for its shares pursuant to Section 262 of the DGCL, a true and correct copy of which was attached thereto, and that such Company Stockholder has received and read a copy of Section 262 of the DGCL, and (iii) acknowledged that by its approval of the Merger it is not entitled to appraisal rights with respect to its shares in connection with the Merger and thereby waives any rights to receive payment of the fair value of its capital stock under the DGCL (such matters, the “Company Stockholder Matters” and the consent, the “Stockholder Written Consent”), and the Stockholder Written Consent is to become effective by its terms immediately following the execution of this Agreement by the parties hereto.
J. Concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and as a condition and inducement to each of Parent and the Company’s willingness to enter into this Agreement, the directors and the officers of Parent listed in Section A-1 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule (solely in their capacity as Parent Stockholders) (the “Parent Signatories”) and the directors and the officers of the Company listed in Section A-1 of the Company Disclosure Schedule (the “Company Signatories”) (solely in their capacity as stockholders) are executing lock-up agreements in substantially the form attached as Exhibit B (each, a “Lock-Up Agreement”).
K. As a condition and inducement to the Parties’ willingness to enter into this Agreement, concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and conditioned solely on Closing, the Parent and certain investors named in that certain purchase agreement (collectively, the “PIPE Investors”), dated as of the date hereof (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”), have executed and delivered the Securities Purchase Agreement, pursuant to which the PIPE Investors have agreed to purchase the number of shares of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock set forth in the Securities Purchase Agreement in connection with the Parent Financing.
L. Concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and as a condition and inducement to the Company’s willingness to enter into this Agreement, certain stockholders set forth on Section A-2 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule (solely in their capacity as stockholders) are executing support agreements in favor of the Company in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit D (the “Parent Stockholder Support Agreement”), pursuant to which such Persons have, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Parent Stockholder Support Agreement, agreed to vote all of their shares of capital stock of Parent in favor of the Parent Stockholder Matters.
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M. Concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and as a condition and inducement to Parent’s willingness to enter into this Agreement, all of the Company Stockholders are executing Company Stockholder Support Agreements in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit E (the “Company Stockholder Support Agreement”).
N. Immediately following the execution and delivery of this Agreement, but prior to the filing of the Certificate of Merger, Parent will file the Certificate of Designation with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
O. Concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and as a condition and inducement to the Company’s willingness to enter into this Agreement, Parent is executing a registration rights agreement in substantially the form attached as Exhibit G (the “Registration Rights Agreement”).
AGREEMENT
The Parties, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:
| SECTION 1. | DESCRIPTION OF TRANSACTION |
1.1 The Merger. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, at the First Effective Time, First Merger Sub shall be merged with and into the Company, and the separate existence of First Merger Sub shall cease. As a result of the First Merger, the Company will continue as the surviving corporation in the First Merger (the “First Step Surviving Corporation”). Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, at the Second Effective Time, the First Step Surviving Corporation will merge with and into Second Merger Sub, and the separate existence of the First Step Surviving Corporation shall cease. As a result of the Second Merger, Second Merger Sub will continue as the surviving entity in the Second Merger (the “Surviving Entity”).
1.2 Effects of the Merger. At and after the First Effective Time, the First Merger shall have the effects set forth in this Agreement, the First Certificate of Merger and in the applicable provisions of the DGCL. As a result of the First Merger, the First Step Surviving Corporation will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, and subject thereto, at the First Effective Time, all the property, rights, privileges, agreements, powers and franchises, debts, liabilities, duties and obligations of First Merger Sub and the Company will become the property, rights, privileges, agreements, powers and franchises, debts, liabilities, duties and obligations of the First Step Surviving Corporation. At and after the Second Effective Time, the Second Merger shall have the effects set forth in this Agreement, the Second Certificate of Merger and in the applicable provisions of the DGCL and the DLLCA. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, and subject thereto, at the Second Effective Time, all the property, rights, privileges, agreements, powers and franchises, debts, liabilities, duties and obligations of Second Merger Sub and the First Step Surviving Corporation will become the property, rights, privileges, agreements, powers and franchises, debts, liabilities, duties and obligations of the Surviving Entity.
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1.3 Closing; First Effective Time; Second Effective Time. The consummation of the Merger (the “Closing”) is being consummated remotely via the electronic exchange of documents and signatures substantially simultaneously with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, or at such other time, date and place as Parent and the Company may mutually agree in writing. The date on which the Closing actually takes place is referred to as the “Closing Date. At the Closing: (a) the Parties shall cause the First Merger to be consummated by executing and filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware a certificate of merger with respect to the First Merger, satisfying the applicable requirements of the DGCL and in form and substance to be agreed upon by the Parties (the “First Certificate of Merger”), and (b) the Parties shall cause the Second Merger to be consummated by executing and filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware a certificate of merger with respect to the Second Merger, satisfying the applicable requirements of the DGCL and the DLLCA and in form and substance to be agreed upon by the Parties (the “Second Certificate of Merger” and together with the First Certificate of Merger, the “Certificates of Merger”). The First Merger shall become effective at the time of the filing of such First Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or at such later time as may be specified in such First Certificate of Merger with the consent of Parent and the Company (the time as of which the First Merger becomes effective being referred to as the “First Effective Time”). The Second Merger shall become effective at the time of the filing of such Second Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or at such later time as may be specified in such Second Certificate of Merger with the consent of Parent and the Company (the time as of which the Second Merger becomes effective being referred to as the “Second Effective Time”).
1.4 Certificate of Designation; Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws; Directors and Officers.
(a) Prior to the First Effective Time, Parent will file the Certificate of Designation with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
(b) At the First Effective Time:
(i) the certificate of incorporation of the First Step Surviving Corporation shall be amended and restated as set forth in an exhibit to the First Certificate of Merger, until thereafter amended as provided by the DGCL and such certificate of incorporation;
(ii) the bylaws of the First Step Surviving Corporation shall be amended and restated in their entirety to read identically to the bylaws of the Company as in effect immediately prior to the First Effective Time, until thereafter amended as provided by the DGCL and such bylaws; and
(iii) the directors and officers of the First Step Surviving Corporation, each to hold office in accordance with the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the First Step Surviving Corporation, shall be such persons as shall be mutually agreed upon by Parent and the Company.
(c) At the Second Effective Time:
(i) the certificate of formation of the Surviving Entity shall be the certificate of formation of Second Merger Sub as in effect immediately prior to the Second Effective Time, until thereafter amended as provided by the DLLCA and such certificate of formation; provided, however, that at the Second Effective Time (as part of the Second Certificate of Merger), the certificate of formation shall be amended to: (A) change the name of the Surviving Entity to “Cy Biopharma, LLC,” (B) comply with Section 4.5, and (C) make such other changes as are mutually agreed to by Parent and the Company;
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(ii) the limited liability company agreement of the Surviving Entity shall be amended and restated in its entirety to read identically to the limited liability company agreement of Second Merger Sub as in effect immediately prior to the Second Effective Time, until thereafter amended as provided by the DLLCA and such limited liability company agreement; provided, however, that following the Second Effective Time (but as soon thereafter as practicable), the limited liability company agreement shall be amended to: (A) comply with Section 4.5, and (B) change the name of the Surviving Entity to “Cy Biopharma, LLC”;
(iii) the managers and officers of the Surviving Entity, each to hold office in accordance with the certificate of formation and limited liability company agreement of the Surviving Entity, shall be such persons as shall be mutually agreed upon by Parent and the Company; and
(iv) the certificate of incorporation of Parent shall be identical to the certificate of incorporation of Parent immediately prior to the Second Effective Time, until thereafter amended as provided by the DGCL and such certificate of incorporation; provided, however, that following the Second Effective Time, the certificate of incorporation may be amended to make such other changes as are mutually agreed to by Parent and the Company.
1.5 Merger Consideration; Effect of Merger on Company Capital Stock. The aggregate merger consideration (as adjusted for the final sentence of this Section 1.5, the “Merger Consideration”) to be paid by Parent for all of the outstanding shares of Company Capital Stock at the Closing shall be 228,923 shares of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock (“Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares”). Each Parent Preferred Stock Payment Share shall be convertible into 1,000 shares of Parent Common Stock, subject to and contingent upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the Parent Common Stock present or represented and entitled to vote at a meeting of Parent Stockholders to approve, for purposes of Nasdaq Stock Market Rules, the issuance of shares of Parent Common Stock to the Company Stockholders upon conversion of any and all shares of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock, in accordance with the terms of the Certificate of Designation in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the “Preferred Stock Conversion Proposal”). In addition, all outstanding convertible notes issued under the Cy Convertible Note Purchase Agreement shall be converted for an aggregate amount of 53,199 shares of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock, and such issuances of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock shall be deemed to be Merger Consideration under this Agreement.
1.6 Conversion of Shares.
(a) At the First Effective Time, by virtue of the First Merger and without any further action on the part of Parent, Merger Subs, the Company or any stockholder of the Company or Parent:
(i) any shares of Company Common Stock held as treasury stock or held or owned by the Company or any wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company immediately prior to the First Effective Time shall be canceled and retired and shall cease to exist, and no consideration shall be delivered in exchange therefor; and
(ii) subject to Section 1.5 and Section 1.6(c), each share of Company Capital Stock outstanding immediately prior to the First Effective Time (excluding shares to be canceled pursuant to Section 1.6(a)(i) and excluding Dissenting Shares) shall be automatically converted solely into the right to receive the number of Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares as set forth on the Allocation Certificate.
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(b) The Company hereby covenants and agrees that, if any shares of Company Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the First Effective Time are subject to a repurchase option or a risk of forfeiture under any applicable restricted stock purchase agreement or other similar agreement with the Company, the Company will cause such shares of Company Common Stock to no longer be subject to any right of repurchase, risk of forfeiture or other such conditions as of the First Effective Time.
(c) No fractional shares of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock shall be issued in connection with the First Merger, and no certificates or scrip for any such fractional shares shall be issued and no cash shall be paid for any such fractional shares. Any fractional shares of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock that a holder of Company Capital Stock would otherwise be entitled to receive, including without limitation any conversion of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock into Parent Common Stock, shall be aggregated with all fractional shares of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock issuable to such holder and any remaining fractional shares shall be rounded down to the nearest whole share.
(d) At the First Effective Time, by virtue of the First Merger and without any further action on the part of Parent, Merger Subs, the Company or any member of the Company or stockholder of Parent, each share of common stock of First Merger Sub issued and outstanding immediately prior to the First Effective Time shall be converted into and exchanged for one share of common stock of the First Step Surviving Corporation. If applicable, each stock certificate of First Merger Sub evidencing ownership of any such shares of common stock of First Merger Sub shall, as of the First Effective Time, evidence ownership of such shares of common stock of the First Step Surviving Corporation.
(e) If, between the date of this Agreement and the First Effective Time, the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock or Parent Common Stock or Parent Convertible Preferred Stock shall have been changed into, or exchanged for, a different number of shares or a different class, by reason of any stock dividend, subdivision, reclassification, recapitalization, split, combination or exchange of shares or other like change, the Exchange Ratio shall, to the extent necessary, be equitably adjusted to reflect such change to the extent necessary to provide the holders of Company Common Stock and Parent Convertible Preferred Stock, with the same economic effect as contemplated by this Agreement prior to such stock dividend, subdivision, reclassification, recapitalization, split, combination or exchange of shares or other like change; provided, however, that nothing in this Agreement will be construed to permit the Company or Parent to take any action with respect to Company Common Stock or Parent Convertible Preferred Stock, respectively, that is prohibited or not expressly permitted by the terms of this Agreement.
(f) At the Second Effective Time, by virtue of the Second Merger and without any action on the part of Parent, the First Step Surviving Corporation, Second Merger Sub or their respective stockholders, each share of the First Step Surviving Corporation issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Second Effective Time shall be canceled and extinguished without any conversion thereof and no payment or distribution shall be made with respect thereto.
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1.7 Closing of the Company’s Transfer Books. At the First Effective Time: (a) all holders of (i) certificates representing shares of Company Capital Stock, and (ii) book-entry shares representing shares of Company Capital Stock (“Book-Entry Shares”), in each case, that were outstanding immediately prior to the First Effective Time shall cease to have any rights as Company Stockholders, and (b) the stock transfer books of the Company shall be closed with respect to all shares of Company Capital Stock outstanding immediately prior to the First Effective Time. No further transfer of any such shares of Company Capital Stock shall be made on such stock transfer books after the First Effective Time. If, after the first Effective Time, a valid certificate previously representing any shares of Company Capital Stock outstanding immediately prior to the First Effective Time (a “Company Stock Certificate”) is presented to the Exchange Agent or to the Surviving Entity, such Company Stock Certificate shall be canceled and shall be exchanged as provided in Sections 1.6 and 1.8.
1.8 Exchange of Shares.
(a) Parent and the Company have selected Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a trust company formed under the banking laws of the State of New York, to act as exchange agent in the Merger (the “Exchange Agent”). At the First Effective Time, Parent shall deposit with the Exchange Agent certificates or evidence of book-entry shares representing Parent Convertible Preferred Stock issuable pursuant to Section 1.6(a). The Parent Convertible Preferred Stock so deposited with the Exchange Agent, together with any dividends or distributions received by the Exchange Agent with respect to such shares, are referred to collectively as the “Exchange Fund.”
(b) Promptly following the First Effective Time, the Parties shall cause the Exchange Agent to email to the Persons who are record holders of Company Stock Certificates, Book-Entry Shares, or Company SAFEs that will be converted into the right to receive Merger Consideration: (i) a letter of transmittal in the form attached hereto as Exhibit F (“Letter of Transmittal”) and an accredited investor questionnaire in customary form and containing such provisions as Parent may reasonably specify, and (ii) instructions for effecting the surrender of the Company Stock Certificates, Book-Entry Shares, or Company SAFEs in exchange for book-entry shares of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock representing the Merger Consideration. Upon surrender of a duly executed Letter of Transmittal, accredited investor questionnaire, and such other documents as may be reasonably required by the Exchange Agent or Parent, each such former holder of Company Stock Certificates, Book-Entry Shares shall be entitled to receive, and the Exchange Agent shall issue, in exchange therefor, book-entry shares of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock, as applicable, representing the Merger Consideration that such holder of Company Capital Stock has the right to receive pursuant to the provisions of Section 1.6(a), and each Company Stock Certificate or Book-Entry Share shall be canceled. The Merger Consideration and any dividends or other distributions as are payable pursuant to Section 1.8(d) shall be deemed to have been in full satisfaction of all rights pertaining to Company Capital Stock formerly represented by such Company Stock Certificates or Book-Entry Shares.
(c) No dividends or other distributions declared or made with respect to Parent Convertible Preferred Stock with a record date on or after the First Effective Time shall be paid to the holder of any unsurrendered Company Stock Certificate or Book-Entry Shares with respect to the shares of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock that such holder has the right to receive in the Merger until such holder surrenders such Company Stock Certificate or transfers such Book-Entry Shares or provides an affidavit of loss or destruction in lieu thereof in accordance with this Section 1.8 (at which time (or, if later, on the applicable payment date) such holder shall be entitled, subject to the effect of applicable abandoned property, escheat or similar Laws, to receive all such dividends and distributions, without interest).
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(d) Any portion of the Exchange Fund that remains unclaimed by holders of shares of Company Capital Stock as of the date that is one year after the Closing Date shall be delivered to Parent upon demand, and any holders of Company Stock Certificates or Book-Entry Shares who have not theretofore surrendered their Company Stock Certificates or transferred their Book-Entry Shares in accordance with this Section 1.8 shall thereafter look only to Parent as general creditors for satisfaction of their claims for Parent Convertible Preferred Stock and any dividends or distributions with respect to shares of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock.
(e) No Party shall be liable to any holder of any shares of Company Capital Stock or to any other Person with respect to any shares of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock (or dividends or distributions with respect thereto) or for any cash amounts delivered to any public official pursuant to any applicable abandoned property Law, escheat Law or similar Law. Any portion of the Exchange Fund that remains unclaimed by holders of shares of Company Capital Stock as of the date that is two years after the Closing Date (or immediately prior to such earlier date on which the related Exchange Funds (and all dividends or other distributions in respect thereof) would otherwise escheat to or become the property of any Governmental Body) shall, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, become the property of the Surviving Entity, free and clear of all claims or interest of any Person previously entitled thereto.
1.9 Appraisal Rights.
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, any Company Capital Stock that is outstanding immediately prior to the First Effective Time and which are held by stockholders who have exercised and perfected appraisal rights for such shares of Company Capital Stock in accordance with the DGCL (collectively, the “Dissenting Shares” and such stockholders “Dissenting Stockholders”) shall not be converted into or represent the right to receive the Merger Consideration described in Section 1.5 attributable to such Dissenting Shares. Dissenting Stockholders shall be entitled to receive payment of the appraised value of such shares of Company Capital Stock held by them in accordance with the DGCL, unless and until Dissenting Stockholders fail to perfect or effectively withdraw or otherwise lose their appraisal rights under the DGCL. All Dissenting Shares held by Dissenting Stockholders who shall have failed to perfect or shall have effectively withdrawn or lost their right to appraisal of such shares of Company Capital Stock under the DGCL (whether occurring before, at or after the First Effective Time) shall thereupon be deemed to be converted into and to have become exchangeable for, as of the First Effective Time, the right to receive the Merger Consideration, without interest, attributable to such Dissenting Shares upon their surrender in the manner provided in Section 1.5 and Section 1.7.
(b) The Company shall give Parent prompt written notice of any demands by Dissenting Stockholders received by the Company, withdrawals of such demands and any other instruments served on the Company and any material correspondence received by the Company in connection with such demands, and Parent shall have the right to direct all negotiations and proceedings with respect to such demands; provided that the Company shall have the right to participate in such negotiations and proceedings. Neither the Parent nor the Company shall, except with the other party’s prior written consent, voluntarily make any payment with respect to, or settle or offer to settle, any such demands, or approve any withdrawal of any such demands or agree to do any of the foregoing.
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1.10 Further Action. If, at any time after the First Effective Time, any further action is determined by the Surviving Entity to be necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes of this Agreement or to vest the Surviving Entity with full right, title and possession of and to all rights and property of the Company, then the officers and directors of the Surviving Entity shall be fully authorized, and shall use their and its reasonable best efforts (in the name of the Company, in the name of Merger Subs, in the name of the Surviving Entity and otherwise) to take such action.
1.11 Withholding. The Parties and the Exchange Agent (each, a “Withholding Agent”) shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from the consideration otherwise payable pursuant to this Agreement to any holder of Company Capital Stock or any other Person such amounts as such Party or the Exchange Agent is required to deduct and withhold under the Code or any other Law with respect to the making of such payment; provided, however, that if a Withholding Agent determines that any payment to any stockholder of the Company hereunder is subject to deduction and/or withholding, then, except with respect to compensatory payments, or as a result of a failure to deliver the certificate described in Section 6.2, such Withholding Agent shall: (a) provide notice to such stockholder as soon as reasonably practicable after such determination (and no later than three Business Days prior to undertaking such deduction and/or withholding), and (b) use commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with such stockholder prior to Closing to reduce or eliminate any such deduction and/or withholding. To the extent that amounts are so withheld and paid over to the appropriate Governmental Body, such withheld amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to the Person in respect of whom such deduction and withholding was made.
| SECTION 2. | REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY |
Subject to Section 8.13(h), except as set forth in the correspondingly numbered Section of the disclosure schedule delivered by the Company to Parent (the “Company Disclosure Schedule”), the Company represents and warrants to Parent and Merger Subs as follows:
2.1 Due Organization; Subsidiaries.
(a) The Company is a corporation duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of Delaware and has all necessary corporate power and authority: (i) to conduct its business in the manner in which its business is currently being conducted, (ii) to own or lease and use its property and assets in the manner in which its property and assets are currently owned or leased and used, and (iii) to perform its obligations under all Contracts by which it is bound.
(b) The Company is duly licensed and qualified to do business, and is in good standing (to the extent applicable in such jurisdiction), under the Laws of all jurisdictions where the nature of its business requires such licensing or qualification other than in jurisdictions where the failure to be so qualified individually or in the aggregate would not be reasonably expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
(c) Except as set forth in Section 2.1(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule: (i) the Company has no Subsidiaries and has never had any Subsidiaries, and (ii) the Company does not own, and has never owned, any capital stock of, or any equity, ownership or profit-sharing interest of any nature in, and does not control, and has never controlled, directly or indirectly, any other Entity.
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(d) No Subsidiary of the Company has conducted any clinical trial work.
(e) The Company is not nor has ever been, directly or indirectly, a party to, member of or participant in any partnership, joint venture or similar business entity.
(f) The Company has not agreed to, and is not obligated to make, nor is bound by any Contract under which it may become obligated to make, any future investment in or capital contribution to any other Entity.
(g) The Company has not, at any time, been a general partner of, or has otherwise been liable for any of the debts or other obligations of, any general partnership, limited partnership or other Entity.
2.2 Organizational Documents. The Company has made available to Parent accurate and complete copies of the Organizational Documents of the Company in effect as of the date of this Agreement. The Company is not in breach or violation of its respective Organizational Documents.
2.3 Authority; Binding Nature of Agreement.
(a) The Company has all necessary corporate power and authority to enter into and to perform its obligations under this Agreement and, subject to receipt of the Required Company Stockholder Vote, to consummate the Contemplated Transactions. The Company Board (at meetings duly called and held or by unanimous written consent) has: (i) determined that the Contemplated Transactions are fair to, advisable and in the best interests of the Company and Company Stockholders, (ii) authorized, approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions, and (iii) determined to recommend, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, that the Company Stockholders vote in favor of the Company Stockholder Matters.
(b) This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by Parent and Merger Subs, constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions.
2.4 Vote Required. The affirmative vote (or written consent) of the holders of a majority of the shares of Company Common Stock outstanding on the record date for the Stockholder Written Consent and entitled to vote thereon, with the holders of Company Common Stock and Company Preferred Stock voting together as a single class (with each share of Company Preferred Stock entitled to the number of votes equal to the number of shares of Company Common Stock into which it is then convertible), and the separate affirmative vote (or written consent) of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Company Preferred Stock, voting as a single class on an as-converted basis (the “Required Company Stockholder Vote”), are the only votes (or written consents) of the holders of any class or series of Company Capital Stock necessary to adopt and approve this Agreement and approve the Contemplated Transactions. The Stockholder Written Consent became effective upon the execution of this Agreement by the parties hereto and provided the Required Company Stockholder Vote. No other corporate proceedings by the Company are necessary to authorize this Agreement or to consummate the Contemplated Transactions.
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2.5 Non-Contravention; Consents. Subject to obtaining the required Company Stockholder Vote, the filing of the Certificates of Merger required by the DGCL and the filing of the Certificate of Designation, neither (x) the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by the Company, nor (y) the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions, will directly or indirectly (with or without notice or lapse of time):
(a) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation of any of the provisions of the Company’s Organizational Documents;
(b) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation of, or give any Governmental Body or other Person the right to challenge the Contemplated Transactions or to exercise any remedy or obtain any relief under, any Law or any order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree to which the Company, or any of the assets owned or used by the Company, is subject, except as would not reasonably be expected to be material to the Company or its business;
(c) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation of any of the terms or requirements of, or give any Governmental Body the right to revoke, withdraw, suspend, cancel, terminate or modify, any Governmental Authorization that is held by the Company, except as would not reasonably be expected to be material to the Company or its business;
(d) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation or breach of, or result in a default under, any provision of any Company Material Contract, or give any Person the right to: (i) declare a default or exercise any remedy under any Company Material Contract, (ii) any material payment, rebate, chargeback, penalty or change in delivery schedule under any Company Material Contract; (iii) accelerate the maturity or performance of any Company Material Contract; or (iv) cancel, terminate or modify any term of any Company Material Contract, except in the case of any non-material breach, default, penalty or modification; or
(e) result in the imposition or creation of any Encumbrance upon or with respect to any asset owned or used by the Company (except for Permitted Encumbrances).
Except for: (i) any Consent set forth in Section 2.5 of the Company Disclosure Schedule under any Company Contract, (ii) the Required Company Stockholder Vote, (iii) the filing of the Certificates of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware pursuant to the DGCL, (iv) the filing of the Certificate of Designation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware pursuant to the DGCL and (v) such consents, waivers, approvals, orders, authorizations, registrations, declarations and filings as may be required under applicable federal and state securities Laws, the Company is not required to make any filing with or give any notice to, or to obtain any Consent from, any Person in connection with: (A) the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement, or (B) the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions. The Company Board has taken and will take all actions necessary to ensure that the restrictions applicable to business combinations contained in Section 203 of the DGCL are, and will be, inapplicable to the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Lock-Up Agreements and to the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions. No other state takeover statute or similar Law applies or purports to apply to the Merger, this Agreement, the Lock-Up Agreements or any of the Contemplated Transactions.
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2.6 Capitalization.
(a) The authorized Company Capital Stock as of immediately prior to the Closing consists of: (i) 10,870,697 shares of Company Common Stock, par value $0.00001 per share, of which 6,500,000 shares are issued and outstanding as of immediately prior to the Closing, and (ii) 2,394,207 shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Company Preferred Stock”), 452,625 of which have been designated Series Seed-1 Preferred Stock and 1,941,582 of which have been designated Series Seed-2 Preferred Stock and all of which are issued or outstanding as of immediately prior to the Closing. The Company does not hold any shares of its capital stock in its treasury. Section 2.6(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists, as of immediately prior to the Closing, each record holder of issued and outstanding Company Capital Stock and the number and type of shares of Company Capital Stock held by such holder.
(b) All of the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock and Company Preferred Stock have been duly authorized and validly issued, and are fully paid and nonassessable. Except as set forth in the Investor Agreements, none of the outstanding shares of Company Capital Stock is entitled or subject to any preemptive right, right of participation, right of maintenance or any similar right and none of the outstanding shares of Company Capital Stock is subject to any right of first refusal in favor of the Company. Except as contemplated in this Agreement or as set forth in the Investor Agreements, there is no Company Contract relating to the voting or registration of, or restricting any Person from purchasing, selling, pledging or otherwise disposing of (or granting any option or similar right with respect to), any shares of Company Capital Stock. The Company is not under any obligation, nor is it bound by any Contract pursuant to which it may become obligated, to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any outstanding shares of Company Capital Stock or other securities. Section 2.6(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule accurately and completely lists (i) all repurchase rights held by the Company with respect to shares of Company Capital Stock and specifies which of those repurchase rights are currently exercisable and (ii) whether the holder of such shares of Company Capital Stock timely filed an election with the relevant Governmental Bodies under Section 83(b) of the Code with respect to such shares. Each share of Company Preferred Stock is convertible into one share of Company Common Stock.
(c) Except for the Company’s 2024 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Company Plan”), the Company does not have any stock option plan or any other plan, program, agreement or arrangement providing for any equity-based compensation for any Person. As of the date of this Agreement, the Company has reserved 988,245 shares of Company Common Stock for issuance under the Company Plan, all of which shares remain available for future issuance of awards pursuant to the Company Plan. The Company has made available to Parent an accurate and complete copy of the Company Plan. In addition, there are no bonds, debentures, notes or other indebtedness involving the Company having the right to vote (or convertible into, or exchangeable for, securities having the right to vote) on any matters on which stockholders of the Company may vote.
(d) There is no: (i) outstanding subscription, option, call, warrant or right (whether or not currently exercisable) to acquire any shares of the capital stock or other securities of the Company, (ii) outstanding security, instrument or obligation that is or may become convertible into or exchangeable for any shares of the capital stock or other securities of the Company, or (iii) condition or circumstance that could be reasonably likely to give rise to or provide a basis for the assertion of a claim by any Person to the effect that such Person is entitled to acquire or receive any shares of capital stock or other securities of the Company. There are no outstanding or authorized stock appreciation, phantom stock, profit participation or other similar rights with respect to the Company.
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(e) All outstanding shares of Company Common Stock, Company Preferred Stock, and other securities of the Company have been issued and granted in material compliance with (i) the Organizational Documents of the Company in effect as of the relevant time and all applicable securities Laws and other applicable Law, and (ii) all requirements set forth in applicable Contracts.
(f) All distributions, dividends, repurchases and redemptions of the Company Capital Stock or other equity interests of the Company were undertaken in material compliance with (i) the Organizational Documents of the Company in effect as of the relevant time and all applicable securities Laws and other applicable Laws, and (ii) all requirements set forth in applicable Contract.
2.7 Financial Statements.
(a) Prior to the execution hereof, the Company has provided to Parent true and complete copies of (i) the Company’s audited fiscal year balance sheet (the “Company Balance Sheet”), together with the audited statements of operations and cash flows of the Company, for the year ended December 31, 2025, and (ii) the Company’s unaudited balance sheet dated as of March 31, 2026, together with the unaudited statements of operations and cash flows of the Company, for the calendar quarter ended March 31, 2026, each as set forth on Schedule 2.7(a) (collectively, and together with the Company Balance Sheet, the “Company Financials”). The Company Financials were prepared in accordance with GAAP (except as may be indicated in the notes to such financial statements and fairly present, in all material respects, the financial position and operating results of the Company as of the dates and for the periods indicated therein, except in the case of the unaudited financial statements for normal, recurring year end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes.
(b) The Company maintains accurate books and records reflecting its assets and liabilities and maintains a system of internal accounting controls designed to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the financial statements of the Company in accordance with GAAP and to maintain accountability of the Company’s assets, (iii) access to the Company’s assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, (iv) the recorded accountability for the Company’s assets is compared with the existing assets at regular intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences, and (v) accounts, notes and other receivables and inventory are recorded accurately, and proper and adequate procedures are implemented which are designed to effect the collection thereof on a current and timely basis. The Company maintains internal controls consistent with the practices of similarly situated private companies over financial reporting that provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP.
(c) Section 2.7(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists, and the Company has delivered to Parent accurate and complete copies of the documentation creating or governing, all securitization transactions and “off-balance sheet arrangements” (as defined in Item 303(c) of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act) effected by the Company since the Company’s inception.
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(d) Since the Company’s inception, there have been no formal internal investigations regarding financial reporting or accounting policies and practices discussed with, reviewed by or initiated at the direction of the chief executive officer, chief financial officer or general counsel of the Company, the Company Board or any committee thereof. Since the Company’s inception, neither the Company nor its independent auditors have identified: (i) any significant deficiency or material weakness in the design or operation of the system of internal accounting controls utilized by the Company, (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves the Company, the Company’s management or other employees who have a role in the preparation of financial statements or the internal accounting controls utilized by the Company, or (iii) any claim or allegation regarding any of the foregoing.
2.8 Absence of Changes. Except as set forth in Section 2.8 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, after the date of the Company Balance Sheet, the Company has conducted its business only in the Ordinary Course of Business (except for the execution and performance of this Agreement and the discussions, negotiations and transactions related thereto) and there has not been any (x) Company Material Adverse Effect and (y) the Company has not done any of the following:
(a) declared, accrued, set aside or paid any dividend or made any other distribution in respect of any shares of its capital stock; or repurchased, redeemed or otherwise reacquired any shares of its capital stock or other securities (except for shares of Company Common Stock from terminated employees, directors or consultants of the Company or in connection with the payment of the exercise price and/or withholding Taxes incurred upon the exercise, settlement or vesting of any award granted under the Company Plan);
(b) sold, issued, granted, pledged or otherwise disposed of or encumbered or authorized any of the foregoing with respect to: (i) any capital stock or other security of the Company, (ii) any option, warrant or right to acquire any capital stock or any other security, other than option grants to employees and service providers in the Ordinary Course of Business, or (iii) any instrument convertible into or exchangeable for any capital stock or other security of the Company;
(c) except as required to give effect to anything in contemplation of the Closing, amended any of its Organizational Documents, or effected or been a party to any merger, consolidation, share exchange, business combination, recapitalization, reclassification of shares, stock split, reverse stock split or similar transaction except, for the avoidance of doubt, the Contemplated Transactions;
(d) formed any Subsidiary or acquired any equity interest or other interest in any other Entity or entered into a joint venture with any other Entity;
(e) either: (i) lent money to any Person (except for the advance of reasonable business expenses to employees, directors and consultants in the Ordinary Course of Business), (ii) incurred or guaranteed any indebtedness for borrowed money, or (iii) guaranteed any debt securities of others;
(f) other than as required by applicable Law or the terms of any Company Benefit Plan as in effect on the date of this Agreement and other than the Company Plan or any Company Option: (i) adopted, terminated, established or entered into any Company Benefit Plan, (ii) caused or permitted any Company Benefit Plan to be amended in any material respect, (iii) paid any material bonus or distributed any profit-sharing account balances or similar payment to, or, other than in the Ordinary Course of Business, increased the amount of the wages, salary, commissions, benefits or other compensation or remuneration payable to, any of its directors, officers or employees, (iv) increased the severance or change-of-control benefits offered to any current, former or new employees, directors or consultants, or (v) hired, terminated or gave notice of termination (other than for cause) to, any (x) officer or (y) employee whose annual base salary is or is expected to be more than $100,000 per year;
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(g) entered into any collective bargaining agreement or similar agreement with any labor union or similar labor organization;
(h) entered into any material transaction other than (i) in the Ordinary Course of Business or (ii) in connection with the Contemplated Transactions;
(i) acquired any material asset or sold, leased or otherwise irrevocably disposed of any of its assets or properties, or granted any Encumbrance (other than Permitted Encumbrances) with respect to such assets or properties, except in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(j) sold, assigned, transferred, licensed, sublicensed or otherwise disposed of any material Company IP (other than pursuant to non-exclusive licenses in the Ordinary Course of Business);
(k) made, changed or revoked any material Tax election, failed to pay any income or other material Tax as such Tax becomes due and payable, filed any amendment making any material change to any Tax Return, settled or compromised any income or other material Tax liability, entered into any Tax allocation, sharing, indemnification or other similar agreement or arrangement (including any “closing agreement” described in Section 7121 of the Code (or any similar Law) with any Governmental Body, but excluding customary commercial Contracts entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business the principal subject matter of which is not Taxes), requested or consented to any extension or waiver of any limitation period with respect to any claim or assessment for any income or other material Taxes (other than pursuant to an extension of time to file any Tax Return granted in the Ordinary Course of Business of not more than six months), or adopted or changed any material accounting method in respect of Taxes;
(l) made any expenditures, incurred any Liabilities or discharged or satisfied any Liabilities, in each case, in amounts that exceed $100,000;
(m) other than as required by Law or GAAP, taken any action to change accounting policies or procedures;
(n) initiated or settled any Legal Proceeding; or
(o) agreed, resolved or committed to do any of the foregoing.
2.9 Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities. As of the date hereof, the Company has no liability, indebtedness, obligation or expense of any kind, whether accrued, absolute, contingent, matured or unmatured (whether or not required to be reflected in the financial statements in accordance with GAAP) (each a “Liability”), except for: (a) Liabilities disclosed, reflected or reserved against in the Company Balance Sheet, (b) Liabilities that have been incurred by the Company since the date of the Company Balance Sheet in the Ordinary Course of Business and which are not material to the Company, individually or in the aggregate, (c) Liabilities for performance of obligations under Company Contracts in the Ordinary Course of Business, which, in each case, are not related to any breach or default of the Company, (d) Liabilities incurred in connection with the Contemplated Transactions, and (e) Liabilities described in Section 2.9 of the Company Disclosure Schedule.
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2.10 Title to Assets. The Company owns, and has good and valid title to, or, in the case of leased properties and assets, valid leasehold interests in, all tangible properties or tangible assets and equipment used or held for use in its business or operations or purported to be owned by it that are material to the Company or its business, including: (a) all tangible assets reflected on the Company Balance Sheet, and (b) all other tangible assets reflected in the books and records of the Company as being owned by the Company. All of such assets are owned or, in the case of leased assets, leased by the Company free and clear of any Encumbrances, other than Permitted Encumbrances.
2.11 Real Property; Leasehold. The Company does not own, nor has ever owned, any real property. The Company has made available to Parent (a) an accurate and complete list of all real properties with respect to which the Company directly or indirectly holds a valid leasehold interest as well as any other real estate that is in the possession of, or occupied or leased by, the Company, and (b) copies of all leases under which any such real property is possessed, occupied or leased (the “Company Real Estate Leases”), each of which is in full force and effect, with no existing material default thereunder by the Company, or to the Knowledge of the Company, any other party thereto. The Company’s possession, occupancy, lease, use and/or operation of each such leased property and leasehold interests conforms to all applicable Laws in all material respects, and the Company has exclusive possession of each such leased property and leasehold interest and has not granted any occupancy rights to tenants or licensees with respect to such leased property or leasehold interest. In addition, each such leased property and leasehold interest is free and clear of all Encumbrances other than Permitted Encumbrances. The Company has not received any written notice from its landlords or any Governmental Body that: (i) relates to violations of building, zoning, safety or fire ordinances or regulations, (ii) claims any defect or deficiency with respect to any of such leased properties or leaseholder interests, or (iii) requests the performance of any repairs, alterations or other work, in each case, to such leased property and leaseholder interests.
2.12 Intellectual Property; Privacy.
(a) Section 2.12(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule identifies each item of Company Registered IP, including, with respect to each application and registration: (i) the name of the applicant or registrant and any other co-owner, (ii) the jurisdiction of application or registration, (iii) the application or registration number, (iv) the date of issue, filing, or registration, as applicable, and (v) to the extent applicable, the expiration date. To the Knowledge of the Company, each of the Patents and Patent applications included in Section 2.12(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule properly identifies by name each and every inventor of the inventions claimed therein as determined in accordance with applicable Laws of the United States and the applicable foreign jurisdiction. For all Company Registered IP owned or purported to be owned, in whole or in part, by the Company (the “Owned Company Registered IP”), and all other Company Registered IP for which the Company has responsibility for prosecution and maintenance activities, all necessary registration, maintenance, renewal and other relevant filing fees due through the Closing Date have been timely paid and all necessary documents and certificates in connection therewith have been timely filed with the relevant Patent, Trademark, Copyright, Internet domain name or other authorities in the United States or the applicable foreign jurisdiction, as the case may be, for the purpose of maintaining such Company Registered IP in full force and effect and, except as set forth on Section 2.12(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, there are no such filings, payments or other actions that must be made or taken on or before the three-month anniversary of the Closing Date. As of the date of this Agreement, no cancellation, interference, opposition, reissue, reexamination or other proceeding of any nature (other than office actions or similar communications issued by any Governmental Body in the ordinary course of prosecution of any pending applications for registration) is pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing, in which the scope, validity, enforceability or ownership of any Company IP is being or has been contested or challenged. To the Knowledge of the Company, each item of Company IP is valid and enforceable, and with respect to the Company Registered IP, subsisting. The Company has complied with all Laws regarding the duty of disclosure, candor and good faith in connection with each Patent included in the Owned Company Registered IP and all other Company Registered IP for which the Company has responsibility for prosecution and maintenance activities.
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(b) The Company (i) exclusively owns or has exclusively licensed all Owned Company Registered IP and all other Company IP (other than as disclosed in Section 2.12(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule), and (ii) has valid and continuing rights, pursuant to the Company In-bound Licenses, to use all other material Intellectual Property Rights as the same are used in or necessary for the conduct of the business as presently conducted by the Company, in each case, free and clear of all Encumbrances other than Permitted Encumbrances. The Owned Company Registered IP is currently in compliance in all material respects with all Laws necessary to record and perfect the Company’s interest in, and the chain of title of, the Owned Company Registered IP and to ensure the ability to claim priority in all jurisdictions. The Company IP and the Intellectual Property Rights licensed to the Company pursuant to a valid, enforceable written agreement constitute all Intellectual Property Rights used in, material to or otherwise necessary for the operation of the Company’s business as currently conducted. Each Company Associate involved in the creation or development of any material Company IP, pursuant to such Company Associate’s activities on behalf of the Company, has signed a written agreement containing an assignment of such Company Associate’s rights in such Company IP to the Company. Each Company Associate who has or has had access to the Company’s trade secrets or confidential information has signed a written agreement containing confidentiality provisions protecting the Company IP, trade secrets and confidential information. The Company has maintained copies of each such executed written agreement and, to the Knowledge of the Company, no party thereto is in default or breach of any such agreements. The Company has taken commercially reasonable steps to protect and preserve the confidentiality of its trade secrets and confidential information.
(c) No funding, facilities or personnel of any Governmental Body or any university, college, research institute or other educational institution has been used or is being used to create, in whole or in part, any Company IP that are owned or purported to be owned by Company, except for any such funding or use of facilities or personnel that does not result in such Governmental Body or institution obtaining ownership rights, license rights, or any other right to such Company IP (except for use rights during the term of the applicable agreement between the Company and such Governmental Body or educational institution), including the right to receive royalties for the practice of such Company IP (other than pursuant to any Company In-bound License disclosed on Section 2.12(d) of the Company Disclosure Schedule).
(d) Section 2.12(d) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth each license agreement pursuant to which the Company: (i) is granted a license under any material Intellectual Property Right owned by any third party that is used by the Company in its business as currently conducted (each a “Company In-bound License”), or (ii) grants to any third party a license under any material Company IP (each a “Company Out-bound License”) (provided, that, Company In-bound Licenses shall not include, when entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business, material transfer agreements, clinical trial agreements, agreements with Company Associates, services agreements, non-disclosure agreements, commercially available Software-as-a-Service offerings, or off-the-shelf software licenses; and Company Out-bound Licenses shall not include, when entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business, material transfer agreements, clinical trial agreements, services agreements, or non-disclosure agreements). All Company In-bound Licenses and Company Out-bound Licenses, to the Knowledge of the Company, are in full force and effect and are valid, enforceable and binding obligations of the Company and, to the Knowledge of Company, each other party to such Company In-bound Licenses or Company Out-bound Licenses. Neither the Company, nor to the Knowledge of the Company, any other party to such Company In-bound Licenses or Company Out-bound Licenses, is in material breach under any Company In-bound Licenses or Company Out-bound Licenses. Except as set forth in Section 2.12(d) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, none of the terms or conditions of any Company In-bound License or any Company Out-bound License requires the Company or any of its Affiliates to maintain, develop or prosecute any Intellectual Property Rights.
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(e) To the Knowledge of the Company: (i) the operation of the business of the Company as currently conducted has not infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated and does not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any Intellectual Property Rights of any other Person, and (ii) no other Person is infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating any Company IP. No Legal Proceeding is pending (or, to the Knowledge of the Company, is threatened in writing) (A) against the Company alleging that the operation of the business of the Company infringes or constitutes the misappropriation or other violation of any Intellectual Property Rights of another Person, or (B) by the Company alleging that another Person has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated any of the Company IP. Since December 31, 2022, the Company has not received any written notice or other written communication alleging that the operation of the business of the Company infringes or constitutes the misappropriation or other violation of any Intellectual Property Right of another Person.
(f) None of the Company IP owned by the Company or, to the Knowledge of the Company, any Company IP exclusively licensed to the Company is subject to any pending or outstanding injunction, directive, order, judgment or other disposition of dispute that adversely and materially restricts the use, transfer, registration or licensing by the Company of any such Company IP.
(g) To the Knowledge of the Company, the Company and the operation of the Company’s business are and have at all times been, in material compliance with all applicable Laws and Privacy and Data Processing Requirements. To the Knowledge of the Company, the Company has at all applicable times provided all notices, and obtained and maintained all rights, consents, and authorizations, to Process Company Data as Processed by or for the Company. Since December 31, 2022, there have been: (i) no loss or theft or security breach relating to Company Data, (ii) no violation of any security policy of the Company regarding any such Company Data, and (iii) no unauthorized access to, or unauthorized, unintended, or improper use disclosure, or other Processing of any Company Data. The Company has taken commercially reasonable steps and implemented reasonable disaster recovery and security plans and procedures to protect the information technology systems used in, material to or necessary for operation of the Company’s business as currently conducted and Company Data from unauthorized use access, or other Processing, and the Company has taken commercially reasonable steps to require that any third party with access to Company Data collected by or on behalf of the Company has taken commercially reasonable steps to protect the Company Data provided to them by the Company. The Company has implemented and maintained commercially reasonable policies, procedures and systems for receiving and appropriately responding to requests from individuals concerning their Company Data where such steps are required by applicable Privacy and Data Processing Requirements.
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(h) To the Knowledge of the Company, there have been no: (i) material malfunctions or unauthorized intrusions or breaches of the information technology systems used in, material to or necessary for the operation of the Company’s business, (ii) material unauthorized access to, or other processing of, Company Data, or (iii) material breaches, security incidents, misuse of or unauthorized access to or disclosure of any Company Data in the possession or control of the Company, and the Company has not provided or been legally required to provide any notices to any Person in connection with an unauthorized disclosure of Company Data. To the Knowledge of the Company, the Company has not been the subject of or received written notice of any complaints, claims or investigations related to their collection, use, storage or processing of Company Data or alleging any violation of applicable Privacy and Data Processing Requirements.
(i) The Company has taken reasonable security and other measures, including measures against unauthorized disclosure, to protect and maintain the secrecy, confidentiality and value of the Know-How and other confidential information included in the Company IP. No trade secret, Know-How or proprietary information material to the business of the Company as presently conducted, as of the date of this Agreement has been authorized to be disclosed or, to the Knowledge of the Company, has been actually disclosed by the Company to any Person other than pursuant to a non-disclosure agreement or other agreement adequately restricting the disclosure and use of such Intellectual Property Rights or information, and excluding any Know-How or proprietary information disclosed by the Company in publications or public filings, including as required under applicable securities laws.
(j) To the Knowledge of the Company, the computer systems, including the software, firmware, hardware, networks, interfaces, platforms and related systems, owned, leased or licensed by the Company an (collectively, the “Company Systems”) perform in all material respects as is necessary for the conduct of its business as presently conducted by Company. To the Knowledge of the Company, in the 12 months immediately prior to the date of this Agreement, (i) there have been no material failures, breakdowns or other adverse events materially affecting any such Company Systems that have caused a material disruption or interruption to the conduct of the business of the Company as currently conducted, and (ii) there have not been any material incidents of unauthorized access or other security breaches of the Company Systems.
2.13 Agreements, Contracts and Commitments.
(a) Section 2.13(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists the following Company Contracts in effect as of the date of this Agreement other than any Company Benefit Plans (each, a “Company Material Contract” and collectively, the “Company Material Contracts”):
(i) each Company Contract relating to any agreement of indemnification or guaranty not entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(ii) each Company Contract containing (A) any covenant limiting the freedom of the Company or the Surviving Entity to engage in any line of business or compete with any Person, (B) any most-favored nation or other preferred pricing arrangement in favor of a Person other than the Company or any similar term by which any Person is or could become entitled to any benefit, right or privilege that must be at least as favorable to such Person as those offered to any other Person, (C) any exclusivity provision, right of first refusal or right of first negotiation or similar covenant in favor of a Person other than the Company, or (D) any non-solicitation provision not entered into the Ordinary Course of Business;
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(iii) each Company Contract relating to capital expenditures and requiring payments after the date of this Agreement in excess of $100,000 pursuant to its express terms and not cancelable without penalty;
(iv) each Company Contract relating to the disposition or acquisition of material assets or any ownership interest in any Entity, except as contemplated hereby;
(v) each Company Contract relating to any mortgages, indentures, loans, notes or credit agreements, security agreements or other agreements or instruments relating to the borrowing of money or extension of credit or creating any material Encumbrances with respect to any assets of the Company or any loans or debt obligations with officers or directors of the Company;
(vi) each Company Contract requiring payment by or to the Company after the date of this Agreement in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate in the current calendar year or any future calendar year pursuant to its express terms relating to: (A) any agreement involving the development or commercialization of any pharmaceutical product (identifying any that contain exclusivity provisions); (B) any agreement involving provision of services or products with respect to any pre-clinical or clinical development activities of the Company; (C) any dealer, distributor, joint marketing, alliance, joint venture, cooperation, development or other agreement currently in force under which the Company has continuing obligations to develop or market any product, technology or service, or any agreement pursuant to which the Company has continuing obligations to develop any Intellectual Property Rights that will not be owned, in whole or in part, by the Company; or (D) any Contract with any third party providing any services relating to the manufacture or production of any product, service or technology of the Company or any Contract to sell, distribute or commercialize any products or service of the Company;
(vii) each Company Contract with any financial advisor, broker, finder, investment banker or other similar Person providing financial advisory services to the Company in connection with the Contemplated Transactions;
(viii) each Company Real Estate Lease;
(ix) each Company Contract with any Governmental Body;
(x) each Company Out-bound License and Company In-bound License, and each Company Contract containing a covenant not to sue or otherwise enforce any Intellectual Property Rights;
(xi) each Company Contract requiring the payment of any royalty, dividend or similar arrangement based on the revenues or profits of the Company;
(xii) each Company Contract, offer letter, employment agreement, or independent contractor agreement with any employee, independent contractor or other natural person service provider that (A) is not immediately terminable at will by the Company without notice, severance or other cost or payment, except as required under applicable Law, or (B) provides for retention payments, change of control payments, severance, accelerated vesting, or any similar payment or benefit that may or will become due as a result of the Merger;
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(xiii) each Company Contract providing any option to receive a license or other right, any right of first negotiation, any right of first refusal or any similar right to any Person related to any material Company IP or material Intellectual Property Right licensed to the Company under a Company In-bound License;
(xiv) each Company Contract entered into in settlement of any Legal Proceeding or other dispute; and
(xv) any other Company Contract that is not terminable at will (with no penalty or payment or requirement for prior notice, except as required by applicable Law) by the Company and (A) which involves payment or receipt by the Company after the date of this Agreement under any such agreement, Contract or commitment of more than $100,000 in the aggregate, or obligations after the date of this Agreement in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate, or (B) that is material to the business or operations of the Company taken as a whole.
(b) The Company has delivered or made available to Parent accurate and complete copies of all Company Material Contracts, including all amendments thereto. There are no Company Material Contracts that are not in written form. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, as of the date of this Agreement any other party to a Company Material Contract, has breached, violated or defaulted under, or received notice that it breached, violated or defaulted under, any of the terms or conditions of any Company Material Contract. As to the Company, as of the date of this Agreement, each Company Material Contract is valid, binding, enforceable and in full force and effect, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions. No Person is renegotiating, or has a right pursuant to the terms of any Company Material Contract to change, any material amount paid or payable to the Company under any Company Material Contract or any other material term or provision of any Company Material Contract, and no Person has indicated to the Company that it desires to renegotiate, modify, not renew or cancel any Company Material Contract.
2.14 Compliance; Permits; Restrictions. The Company holds all required Governmental Authorizations which are material to the operation of the business of the Company as currently conducted (the “Company Permits”). Section 2.14 of the Company Disclosure Schedule identifies each Company Permit. Each such Company Permit is valid and in full force and effect, and the Company is in material compliance with the terms of the Company Permits. No Legal Proceeding is pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened, which seeks to revoke, limit, suspend, or materially modify any Company Permit.
2.15 Legal Proceedings; Orders.
(a) Except as set forth in Section 2.15(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, as of the date of this Agreement, there is no pending Legal Proceeding and, to the Knowledge of the Company, no Person has threatened in writing to commence any Legal Proceeding: (i) that involves (A) the Company, (B) any Company Associate (in his or her capacity as such), or (C) any of the material assets owned or used by the Company, or (ii) that challenges, or that would have the effect of preventing, delaying, making illegal or otherwise interfering with, the Contemplated Transactions.
(b) Except as set forth in Section 2.15(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, since the Company’s inception through the date of this Agreement, no Legal Proceeding has been pending against the Company that resulted in material liability to the Company.
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(c) There is no order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree to which the Company, or any of the material assets owned or used by the Company, is subject. To the Knowledge of the Company, no officer or employees of the Company is subject to any order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree that prohibits such officer or employee from engaging in or continuing any conduct, activity or practice relating to the business of the Company or to any material assets owned or used by the Company.
2.16 Tax Matters.
(a) The Company has timely filed all income and other material Tax Returns that were required to be filed by or with respect to it under applicable Law. All such Tax Returns are correct and complete in all material respects and have been prepared in compliance with all applicable Law. No written claim has ever been made by any Governmental Body in any jurisdiction where the Company does not file a particular Tax Return or pay a particular Tax that the Company is subject to taxation by that jurisdiction.
(b) All income and other material Taxes due and owing by the Company on or before the date hereof (whether or not shown on any Tax Return) have been fully and timely paid. The unpaid Taxes of the Company did not, as of the date of the Company Balance Sheet, materially exceed the reserve for Tax liability (excluding any reserve for deferred Taxes established to reflect timing differences between book and Tax items) set forth on the face of the Company Balance Sheet. Since the date of the Company Balance Sheet, the Company has not incurred any material Liability for Taxes outside the Ordinary Course of Business.
(c) All Taxes that the Company is or was required by Law to withhold or collect have been duly and timely withheld or collected in all material respects on behalf of its respective employees, independent contractors, stockholders, lenders, customers or other third parties and have been timely paid to the proper Governmental Body or other Person or properly set aside in accounts for this purpose.
(d) There are no Encumbrances for material Taxes (other than Permitted Encumbrances) upon any of the assets of the Company.
(e) No deficiencies for a material amount of Taxes with respect to the Company have been claimed, proposed or assessed by any Governmental Body in writing. There are no pending or ongoing and, to the Knowledge of the Company, no threatened audits, assessments or other actions for or relating to any liability in respect of a material amount of Taxes of the Company. The Company nor any of its predecessors has waived any statute of limitations or agreed to any extension of time with respect to any income or other material Tax assessment or deficiency.
(f) The Company has not been a United States real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897(c)(2) of the Code during the applicable period specified in Section 897(c)(1)(A)(ii) of the Code.
(g) The Company is not a party to any Tax allocation agreement, Tax sharing agreement, Tax indemnity agreement, or similar agreement or arrangement, other than customary commercial Contracts entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business the principal subject matter of which is not Taxes.
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(h) The Company (nor Parent as a result of the Merger) will not be required to include any item of income in, or exclude any item of deduction from, taxable income for any Tax period (or portion thereof) ending after the Closing Date as a result of any: (i) change in method of accounting for Tax purposes for a Tax period ending on or prior to the Closing Date; (ii) use of an improper method of accounting for a Tax period ending on or prior to the Closing Date; (iii) “closing agreement” as described in Section 7121 of the Code (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign Law) executed on or prior to the Closing Date; (iv) intercompany transaction or excess loss account described in Treasury Regulations under Section 1502 of the Code (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign Law); (v) installment sale or open transaction disposition made on or prior to the Closing Date; or (vi) prepaid amount, advance payment or deferred revenue received or accrued on or prior to the Closing Date.
(i) The Company has not ever been: (i) a member of a consolidated, combined or unitary Tax group (other than such a group the common parent of which is the Company), or (ii) a party to any joint venture, partnership, or other arrangement that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income Tax purposes. The Company has no Liability for any material Taxes of any Person (other than the Company) under Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-6 (or any similar provision of state, local, or foreign Law), as a transferee or successor, by Contract (other than a Contract entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business the principal subject matter of which is not Taxes) or otherwise by operation of Law.
(j) The Company has not ever distributed stock of another Person, or had its stock distributed by another Person, in a transaction that was purported or intended to be governed in whole or in part by Section 355 of the Code or Section 361 of the Code (or any similar provisions of state, local or foreign Law).
(k) The Company has not had a permanent establishment (within the meaning of an applicable Tax treaty) or otherwise had an office or fixed place of business in a country other than the country in which it is organized.
(l) The Company has not participated in or been a party to a transaction that, as of the date of this Agreement, constitutes a “listed transaction” within the meaning of Section 6707A(c)(2) of the Code and Treasury Regulations Section 1.6011-4(b)(2).
(m) Section 2.16(m) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth the entity classification of the Company for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Company has not made an election or taken any other action to change its federal and state income tax classification from such classification.
For purposes of this Section 2.16, each reference to the Company shall be deemed to include any Person that was liquidated into, merged with, or is otherwise a predecessor to, the Company.
2.17 Employee and Labor Matters; Benefit Plans.
(a) Section 2.17(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule is a list of all Company Benefit Plans, other than at-will employment offer letters on the Company’s standard form and other than individual compensatory equity award agreements made pursuant to the Company’s standard forms, in which case only representative standard forms of such agreements shall be scheduled. “Company Benefit Plan” means each: (i) “employee benefit plan” as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA, and (ii) other pension, retirement, deferred compensation, excess benefit, profit-sharing, bonus, incentive, equity or equity-based, phantom equity, employment, consulting, severance, change-of-control, retention, health, life, disability, group insurance, paid time off, holiday, welfare and fringe benefit plan, program, agreement, Contract, or arrangement (whether written or unwritten, qualified or nonqualified, funded or unfunded, subject or not subject to ERISA and including any that have been frozen), in each case, sponsored, maintained, administered, contributed to, or required to be contributed to, by the Company for the benefit of any current or former employee, director, officer or independent contractor of the Company (or beneficiary thereof) or under which the Company has any actual or contingent liability (including, without limitation, by reason of having a Company ERISA Affiliate).
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(b) As applicable with respect to each material Company Benefit Plan, the Company has made available to Parent, true and complete copies of: (i) each material Company Benefit Plan, including all amendments thereto, and in the case of an unwritten material Company Benefit Plan, a written description thereof, (ii) all current trust documents, investment management Contracts, custodial agreements, administrative services agreements and insurance and annuity Contracts relating thereto, (iii) the current summary plan description and each summary of material modifications thereto, (iv) the most recently filed annual reports with any Governmental Body (e.g., Form 5500 and all schedules thereto), (v) the most recent IRS determination, opinion or advisory letter, (vi) the most recent summary annual reports, nondiscrimination testing reports, actuarial reports, financial statements and trustee reports, and (vii) all notices and filings from the IRS or Department of Labor or other Governmental Body concerning audits or investigations, or “prohibited transactions” within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.
(c) Each Company Benefit Plan has been maintained, operated and administered in compliance in all material respects with its terms and the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code and all other Laws.
(d) The Company Benefit Plans which are “employee pension benefit plans” within the meaning of Section 3(2) of ERISA and which are intended to meet the qualification requirements of Section 401(a) of the Code have received determination or opinion letters from the IRS on which they may currently rely to the effect that such plans are qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code and the related trusts are exempt from federal income Taxes under Section 501(a) of the Code, respectively, and nothing has occurred that would reasonably be expected to materially adversely affect the qualification of such Company Benefit Plan or the tax exempt status of the related trust.
(e) Neither the Company nor any Company ERISA Affiliate maintains, contributes to, is required to contribute to, or has any actual or contingent liability with respect to, (i) any “employee pension benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(2) of ERISA) that is subject to Title IV or Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code, (ii) any “multiemployer plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(37) of ERISA), (iii) any “multiple employer plan” (within the meaning of Section 413 of the Code), or (iv) any “multiple employer welfare arrangement” (within the meaning of Section 3(40) of ERISA).
(f) There are no pending audits or investigations by any Governmental Body involving any Company Benefit Plan, and no pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened claims (except for routine individual claims for benefits payable in the normal operation of the Company Benefit Plans), suits or proceedings involving any Company Benefit Plan, or, to the Knowledge of the Company, any fiduciary thereof or service provider thereto, in any case except as would not be reasonably expected to result in material liability to the Company. All contributions and premium payments required to have been made under any of the Company Benefit Plans or by applicable Law (without regard to any waivers granted under Section 412 of the Code), have been timely made and the Company has no material liability for any unpaid contributions with respect to any Company Benefit Plan.
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(g) None of the Company, any Company ERISA Affiliate or, to the Knowledge of the Company, any fiduciary, trustee or administrator of any Company Benefit Plan, has engaged in, or in connection with the Contemplated Transactions will engage in, any transaction with respect to any Company Benefit Plan which would subject any such Company Benefit Plan, the Company, or Parent to a material Tax, material penalty or material liability for a “prohibited transaction” under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.
(h) No Company Benefit Plan provides death, medical, dental, vision, life insurance or other welfare benefits beyond termination of service or retirement other than coverage mandated by Law and, to the Knowledge of the Company, the Company has not made a written representation promising the same.
(i) Neither the execution of this Agreement, nor the performance of the Contemplated Transactions (either alone or when combined with the occurrence of any other event, including without limitation, a termination of employment), will: (i) result in any payment becoming due to any current or former employee, director, officer, or independent contractor of the Company thereof, pursuant to any Company Benefit Plan, (ii) increase any amount of compensation or benefits otherwise payable under any Company Benefit Plan, (iii) result in the acceleration of the time of payment, funding or vesting of any benefits under any Company Benefit Plan, (iv) require any contribution or payment to fund any obligation under any Company Benefit Plan, or (v) limit the right to merge, amend or terminate any Company Benefit Plan.
(j) Except as set forth in Section 2.17(j) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, neither the execution of this Agreement, nor the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions (either alone or when combined with the occurrence of any other event, including without limitation, a termination of employment) will result in the receipt or retention by any person who is a “disqualified individual” (within the meaning of Code Section 280G) with respect to the Company of any payment or benefit that is or could be characterized as a “parachute payment” (within the meaning of Code Section 280G), determined without regard to the application of Code Section 280G(b)(5).
(k) No current or former employee, officer, director or independent contractor of the Company has any “gross up” agreements with the Company or other assurance of reimbursement by the Company for any Taxes imposed under Code Section 409A or Code Section 4999.
(l) The Company does not maintain any Company Benefit Plan for the benefit of any service providers located outside of the United States.
(m) The Company has provided to Parent a true and correct list, as of the date of this Agreement, containing the names of all current full-time, part-time or temporary employees and independent contractors (and indication as such), and, as applicable: (i) the annual dollar amount of all cash compensation in the form of wages, salary, fees, commissions, or director’s fees payable to each person, (ii) dates of employment or service, (iii) title and, with respect to independent contractors, a current written description of such person’s contracting services, (iv) visa status, if applicable, and (v) with respect to employees, (A) a designation of whether they are classified as exempt or non-exempt for purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act, as amended (“FLSA”) and any similar state law, and (B) whether such an employee is on leave and, if so, the expected return date.
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(n) The Company is not and has never been a party to, bound by, or has a duty to bargain under, any collective bargaining agreement or other Contract with a labor union or similar labor organization representing any of its employees, and there is no labor union or similar labor organization representing or, to the Knowledge of the Company, purporting to represent or seeking to represent any employees of the Company, including through the filing of a petition for representation election. There is not and has not been in the past five years, nor, to the Knowledge of the Company, is there or has there been since the Company’s inception any threat of, any strike, slowdown, work stoppage, lockout, union election petition, demand for recognition, or any similar activity or dispute or any union organizing activity, affecting the Company.
(o) The Company is, and since the Company’s inception has been, in material compliance with all applicable Laws respecting labor, employment, employment practices, and terms and conditions of employment, including worker classification, discrimination, harassment and retaliation, equal employment opportunities, fair employment practices, meal and rest periods, immigration, employee safety and health, payment of wages (including overtime wages), unemployment and workers’ compensation, leaves of absence, and hours of work. Except as would not be reasonably likely to result in a material liability to the Company, with respect to employees of the Company, the Company, since the Company’s inception, has withheld and reported all amounts required by Law to be withheld and reported with respect to wages, salaries and other payments, benefits, or compensation to employees. There is no material Legal Proceeding pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened or reasonably anticipated against the Company relating to any current or former employee, applicant for employment, or consultant of the Company.
(p) Within the preceding two years, the Company has complied in all material respects with the WARN Act, and no action that could trigger the WARN Act has been implemented by the Company without advance notification to and approval of Parent.
2.18 Environmental Matters. The Company is and since inception has complied with all applicable Environmental Laws, which compliance includes the possession by the Company of all permits and other Governmental Authorizations required under applicable Environmental Laws and compliance with the terms and conditions thereof, except for any failure to be in such compliance that, either individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to be material to the Company or its business. The Company has not received since inception any written notice or other communication (in writing or otherwise), whether from a Governmental Body or other Person, that alleges that the Company is not in compliance with or has liability pursuant to any Environmental Law and, to the Knowledge of the Company, there are no circumstances that would reasonably be expected to prevent or interfere with the Company’s compliance in any material respects with any Environmental Law, except where such failure to comply would not reasonably be expected to be material to the Company or its business. No current or (during the time a prior property was leased or controlled by the Company) prior property leased or controlled by the Company has had a release of or exposure to Hazardous Materials in material violation of or as would reasonably be expected to result in any material liability of the Company pursuant to Environmental Law. No consent, approval or Governmental Authorization of or registration or filing with any Governmental Body is required by Environmental Laws in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or consummation of the Contemplated Transactions by the Company. Prior to the date hereof, the Company has provided or otherwise made available to Parent true and correct copies of all material environmental reports, assessments, studies and audits in the possession or control of the Company with respect to any property leased or controlled by the Company or any business operated by it.
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2.19 Insurance. The Company has delivered or made available to Parent accurate and complete copies of all insurance policies and all self-insurance programs and arrangements relating to the business, assets, liabilities and operations of the Company. Each of such insurance policies is in full force and effect and the Company is in compliance in all material respects with the terms thereof. Other than customary end of policy notifications from insurance carriers, since the Company’s inception, the Company has not received any notice or other communication regarding any actual or possible: (a) cancellation or invalidation of any insurance policy, or (b) refusal or denial of any coverage, reservation of rights or rejection of any material claim under any insurance policy. The Company has provided timely written notice to the appropriate insurance carrier(s) of each Legal Proceeding that is currently pending against the Company for which the Company has insurance coverage, and no such carrier has issued a denial of coverage or a reservation of rights with respect to any such Legal Proceeding, or informed the Company of its intent to do so.
2.20 No Financial Advisors. Except as set forth in Section 2.20 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, no broker, finder or investment banker is entitled to any brokerage fee, finder’s fee, opinion fee, success fee, transaction fee or other fee or commission in connection with the Contemplated Transactions based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of the Company.
2.21 Transactions with Affiliates.
(a) Section 2.21(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule describes any transactions or relationships, since the Company’s inception, between, on one hand, the Company and, on the other hand, any: (i) officer or director of the Company or, to the Knowledge of the Company, any of such officer’s or director’s immediate family members, (ii) owner of more than five percent of the voting power of the outstanding Company Capital Stock, or (iii) to the Knowledge of the Company, any “related person” (within the meaning of Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act) of any such officer, director or owner (other than the Company) in the case of each of (i), (ii) or (iii) that is of the type that would be required to be disclosed under Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.
(b) Section 2.21(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists each stockholders agreement, voting agreement, registration rights agreement, co-sale agreement or other similar Contract between the Company and any holders of Company Capital Stock, including any such Contract granting any Person investor rights, rights of first refusal, rights of first offer, registration rights, director designation rights or similar rights (collectively, the “Investor Agreements”).
2.22 Anti-Bribery. Neither the Company nor any of its directors, officers, employees or, to the Company’s Knowledge, agents or any other Person acting on their behalf (in each in their respective capacities as such) has directly or indirectly made any bribes, rebates, payoffs, influence payments, kickbacks, illegal payments, illegal political contributions, or other payments, in the form of cash, gifts, or otherwise, or taken any other action, in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the UK Bribery Act of 2010 or any other anti-bribery or anti-corruption Law (collectively, the “Anti-Bribery Laws”). The Company is not, nor has ever been, the subject of any investigation or inquiry by any Governmental Body with respect to potential violations of Anti-Bribery Laws.
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2.23 Disclaimer of Other Representations or Warranties.
(a) Except as previously set forth in this Section 2 or in any certificate delivered by the Company to Parent and/or Merger Subs pursuant to this Agreement, the Company makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, at law or in equity, with respect to it or any of its assets, liabilities or operations, and any such other representations or warranties are hereby expressly disclaimed.
(b) The Company acknowledges and agrees that, except for the representations and warranties of Parent and Merger Subs set forth in Section 3 or in any certificate delivered by Parent and/or Merger Subs to the Company pursuant to this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its Representatives is relying on any other representation or warranty of Parent, Merger Subs or any other Person made outside of Section 3 or such certificate, including regarding the accuracy or completeness of any such other representations or warranties or the omission of any material information, whether express or implied, in each case, with respect to the Contemplated Transactions.
| SECTION 3. | REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT AND MERGER SUBS |
Subject to Section 8.13(h), except (a) as set forth in the correspondingly numbered Section of the disclosure schedule delivered by Parent to the Company (the “Parent Disclosure Schedule”), or (b) as disclosed in the Parent SEC Documents filed with the SEC after December 31, 2022 and at least 10 Business Days prior to the date hereof, and publicly available on the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval system, and that is reasonably apparent on the face of such disclosure to be applicable to the representation and warranty set forth herein (but (i) without giving effect to any amendment thereof filed with, or furnished to the SEC on or after the date hereof, and (ii) excluding any disclosures contained under the heading “Risk Factors,” “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk,” “Forward-Looking Statements,” and any disclosure of risks included in any “forward-looking statements” disclaimer or in any other section to the extent they are forward-looking statements or cautionary, predictive or forward-looking in nature), Parent and Merger Subs represent and warrant to the Company as follows:
3.1 Due Organization; Subsidiaries.
(a) Each of Parent, First Merger Sub, and Second Merger Sub is a company duly incorporated or organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the State of Delaware, and each has all necessary corporate or limited liability power and authority: (i) to conduct its business in the manner in which its business is currently being conducted, (ii) to own or lease and use its property and assets in the manner in which its property and assets are currently owned or leased and used, and (iii) to perform its obligations under all Contracts by which it is bound. Since their respective date of incorporation or formation, no Merger Sub has engaged in any activities other than activities incident to its formation or in connection with or as contemplated by this Agreement.
(b) Parent is duly licensed and qualified to do business, and is in good standing (to the extent applicable in such jurisdiction), under the Laws of all jurisdictions where the nature of its business requires such licensing or qualification other than in jurisdictions where the failure to be so qualified individually or in the aggregate would not be reasonably expected to have a Parent Material Adverse Effect.
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(c) Parent has no Subsidiaries, except for the Entities identified in Section 3.1(c) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule; and neither Parent nor any of the Entities identified in Section 3.1(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule owns any capital stock of, or any equity, ownership or profit-sharing interest of any nature in, or controls directly or indirectly, any other Entity other than the Entities identified in Section 3.1(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule. Each of Parent’s Subsidiaries is a corporation or other legal entity duly organized, validly existing and, if applicable, in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization and has all necessary corporate or other power and authority: (i) to conduct its business in the manner in which its business is currently being conducted, (ii) to own or lease and use its property and assets in the manner in which its property and assets are currently owned or leased and used, and (iii) to perform its obligations under all Contracts by which it is bound.
(d) Neither the Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries is or has otherwise been, directly or indirectly, a party to, member of or participant in any partnership, joint venture or similar business Entity. Neither the Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has agreed or is obligated to make, or is bound by any Contract under which it may become obligated to make, any future investment in or capital contribution to any other Entity. Neither the Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has, at any time, been a general partner of, or has otherwise been liable for, any of the debts or other obligations of, any general partnership, limited partnership or other Entity.
3.2 Organizational Documents. Parent has made available to the Company accurate and complete copies of the Organizational Documents or Parent and each of its Subsidiaries in effect as of the date of this Agreement. Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries is in breach or violation of its respective Organizational Documents.
3.3 Authority; Binding Nature of Agreement.
(a) The Parent and each of its Subsidiaries (including the Merger Subs) have all necessary corporate or limited liability power and authority to enter into and to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, and, subject, with respect to Parent, to receipt of the Required Parent Stockholder Vote and, with respect to Merger Subs, the adoption of this Agreement by Parent in its capacity as sole stockholder or sole member of Merger Subs, to perform its obligations hereunder and to consummate the Contemplated Transactions. The Parent Board (at meetings duly called and held or by unanimous written consent) has: (i) determined that the Contemplated Transactions are fair to, advisable and in the best interests of Parent Stockholders, (ii) authorized, approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions, including the issuance of Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares to the Company Stockholders pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and the treatment of the Company Options pursuant to this Agreement, and (iii) determined to recommend, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, that the Parent Stockholders vote to approve the Parent Stockholder Matters. The First Merger Sub Board (by unanimous written consent) has: (A) determined that the Contemplated Transactions are fair to, advisable, and in the best interests of First Merger Sub and its sole stockholder, (B) authorized, approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions, and (C) determined to recommend, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, that the stockholder of First Merger Sub vote to adopt this Agreement and thereby approve the Contemplated Transactions. The Second Merger Sub Board (by unanimous written consent) has: (X) determined that the Contemplated Transactions are fair to, advisable, and in the best interests of Second Merger Sub and its sole member, (Y) authorized, approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions; and (Z) determined to recommend, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, that the sole member of Second Merger Sub vote to adopt this Agreement and thereby approve the Contemplated Transactions.
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(b) This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Parent and each Merger Sub and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the Company, constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of Parent and Merger Subs, enforceable against each of Parent and Merger Subs in accordance with its terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions.
3.4 Vote Required. The approval of holders of Parent Common Stock is not required in order to approve this Agreement or, except with respect to Parent Stockholder Matters, the transactions contemplated hereby. The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting by the holders of Parent Common Stock are the only vote of the holders of any class or series of Parent’s capital stock necessary to approve the proposal described in Section 4.2(a) (“Required Parent Stockholder Vote”).
3.5 Non-Contravention; Consents. Subject to obtaining the Required Parent Stockholder Vote, the filing of the Certificates of Merger required by the DGCL and the filing of the Certificate of Designation, neither (x) the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by Parent or Merger Subs, nor (y) the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions, will directly or indirectly (with or without notice or lapse of time):
(a) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation of any of the provisions of the Organizational Documents of Parent or Merger Subs;
(b) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation of, give any Governmental Body or other Person the right to challenge the Contemplated Transactions or to exercise any remedy or obtain any relief under, any Law or any order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree to which Parent or its Subsidiaries, or any of the assets owned or used by Parent or its Subsidiaries, is subject, except as would not reasonably be expected to be material to Parent or its business;
(c) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation of any of the terms or requirements of, or give any Governmental Body the right to revoke, withdraw, suspend, cancel, terminate or modify, any Governmental Authorization that is held by Parent, except as would not reasonably be expected to be material to Parent or its business;
(d) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation or breach of, or result in a default under, any provision of any Parent Material Contract, or give any Person the right to: (i) declare a default or exercise any remedy under any Parent Material Contract; (ii) any material payment, rebate, chargeback, penalty or change in delivery schedule under any Parent Material Contract; (iii) accelerate the maturity or performance of any Parent Material Contract; or (iv) cancel, terminate or modify any term of any Parent Material Contract, except in the case of any non-material breach, default, penalty or modification; or
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(e) result in the imposition or creation of any Encumbrance upon or with respect to any asset owned or used by Parent (except for Permitted Encumbrances).
Except for (i) any Consent set forth in Section 3.5 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule under any Parent Contract, (ii) the Required Parent Stockholder Vote, (iii) the filing of the Certificates of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware pursuant to the DGCL, (iv) the filing of the Certificate of Designation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware pursuant to the DGCL and (v) such consents, waivers, approvals, orders, authorizations, registrations, declarations and filings as may be required under applicable federal and state securities Laws, neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries is or will be required to make any filing with or give any notice to, or to obtain any Consent from, any Person in connection with (A) the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement, or (B) the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions. The Parent Board and the First Merger Sub Board and the Second Merger Sub Board have taken and will take all actions necessary to ensure that the restrictions applicable to business combinations contained in Section 203 of the DGCL (or analogous provisions) are, and will be, inapplicable to the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Lock-Up Agreements and to the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions. No other state takeover statute or similar Law applies or purports to apply to the Merger, this Agreement or any of the other Contemplated Transactions.
3.6 Capitalization.
(a) The authorized capital stock of Parent as of the date of this Agreement consists of 250,000,000 shares of Parent Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of which 16,227,518 shares have been issued and are outstanding as of the close of business on the Reference Date and 1,500,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of which 0 shares previously designated as Series A Preferred Stock are so designated or outstanding as of the date of this Agreement and of the 4,500 shares previously designated as Series B Preferred Stock, of which 1,233 shares were outstanding the day before the date of this Agreement, 0 shares will be so designated or outstanding as of the close of business on the date of this Agreement. Parent does not hold any shares of its capital stock in its treasury.
(b) All of the outstanding shares of Parent Common Stock have been duly authorized and validly issued, and are fully paid and nonassessable. None of the outstanding shares of Parent Common Stock are entitled or subject to any preemptive right, right of participation, right of maintenance or any similar right and none of the outstanding shares of Parent Common Stock is subject to any right of first refusal in favor of Parent. Except as contemplated herein, there is no Parent Contract relating to the voting or registration of, or restricting any Person from purchasing, selling, pledging or otherwise disposing of (or granting any option or similar right with respect to), any shares of Parent Common Stock. Parent is not under any obligation, nor is it bound by any Contract pursuant to which it may become obligated, to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any outstanding shares of Parent Common Stock or other securities. Section 3.6(b) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule accurately and completely lists all repurchase rights held by Parent with respect to shares of Parent Common Stock (including shares issued pursuant to the exercise of stock options) and specifies which of those repurchase rights are currently exercisable and whether the holder of such shares of Parent Common Stock timely filed an election with the relevant Governmental Bodies under Section 83(b) of the Code with respect to such shares.
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(c) Except for the Parent Stock Plans, and except as set forth in Section 3.6(c) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, Parent does not have any stock option plan or any other plan, program, agreement or arrangement providing for any equity-based compensation for any Person. As of the close of business on the Reference Date, Parent has reserved 845,919 shares of Parent Common Stock for issuance under the Parent Stock Plans, of which Parent RSUs and Parent Options to purchase a total of 86,405 shares, in the aggregate, have been issued and are currently outstanding of, which no shares are subject to Parent’s right of repurchase, of which (x) 86,405 shares have been reserved for issuance upon exercise of Parent Options previously granted and currently outstanding under the Parent Stock Plans, (y) zero shares have been reserved for issuance upon the settlement of Parent RSUs granted under the Parent Stock Plans that are outstanding as of the close of business on the Reference Date, and (z) 759,514 shares remain available for future issuance pursuant to the Parent Stock Plans. Section 3.6(c) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule sets forth the following information with respect to each Parent Option and Parent RSU outstanding as of the Reference Date: (i) the name of the holder, (ii) the number of shares of Parent Common Stock subject to such Parent Option or Parent RSU at the time of grant, (iii) the number of shares of Parent Common Stock subject to such Parent Option or Parent RSU as of the close of business on the Reference Date, (iv) the exercise price of such Parent Option, (v) the date on which such Parent Option or Parent RSU was granted, (vi) the applicable vesting schedule, including the number of vested and unvested shares as of the close of business on the Reference Date and any acceleration provisions, (vii) the date on which such Parent Option or Parent RSU expires, (viii) whether such Parent Option is intended to constitute an “incentive stock option” (as defined in the Code) or a non-qualified stock option, and (ix) whether such Parent Option is “early exercisable”. Parent has made available to the Company accurate and complete copies of the Parent Stock Plans and the form of the stock option agreements and restricted stock unit agreements evidencing outstanding Parent Options and Parent RSUs granted thereunder. No vesting of Parent Options or Parent RSUs will be accelerated in connection with the closing of the Contemplated Transactions other than as set forth on such Section 3.6(c) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule.
(d) Except for the Parent Options and the Parent RSUs granted pursuant to the Parent Stock Plans, and as otherwise set forth in Section 3.6(d) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, there is no: (i) outstanding subscription, option, call, warrant or right (whether or not currently exercisable) to acquire any shares of the capital stock or other securities of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) outstanding security, instrument or obligation that is or may become convertible into or exchangeable for any shares of the capital stock or other securities of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iii) condition or circumstance that could be reasonably likely to give rise to or provide a basis for the assertion of a claim by any Person to the effect that such Person is entitled to acquire or receive any shares of capital stock or other securities of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries. There are no outstanding or authorized stock appreciation, phantom stock, profit participation or other similar rights with respect to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries. In addition, there are no stockholder rights plans (or similar plan commonly referred to as a “poison pill”) or bonds, debentures, notes or other indebtedness of Parent having the right to vote (or convertible into, or exchangeable for, securities having the right to vote) on any matters on which stockholders of Parent may vote.
(e) All outstanding shares of Parent Common Stock, Parent Options, Parent RSUs and other securities of Parent have been issued and granted in material compliance with: (i) the Organizational Documents of Parent in effect as of the relevant time and all applicable securities Laws and other applicable Law, and (ii) all requirements set forth in applicable Contracts.
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(f) All distributions, dividends, repurchases and redemptions of Parent Common Stock or other equity interests of Parent were undertaken in material compliance with (i) the Organizational Documents of Parent in effect as of the relevant time and all applicable securities Laws and other applicable Laws, and (ii) all requirements set forth in applicable Contracts.
3.7 SEC Filings; Financial Statements.
(a) Parent has delivered or made available to the Company accurate and complete copies of all registration statements, proxy statements, Certifications (as defined below) and other statements, reports, schedules, forms and other documents filed by Parent with the SEC since December 31, 2022 (the “Parent SEC Documents”), other than such documents that can be obtained on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Since December 31, 2022, all material statements, reports, schedules, forms and other documents, including any exhibits thereto, required to have been filed by Parent or its officers with the SEC have been so filed on a timely basis. As of the time it was filed with the SEC (or, if amended or superseded by a filing prior to the date of this Agreement, then on the date of such filing), each of the Parent SEC Documents complied in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (as the case may be), and the rules and regulations thereunder, and, as of the time they were filed, or if amended or superseded by a filing prior to the date of this Agreement, on the date of the last such amendment or superseding filing prior to the date of this Agreement, none of the Parent SEC Documents contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The certifications and statements required by (i) Rule 13a-14 under the Exchange Act and (ii) 18 U.S.C. §1350 (Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act) relating to the Parent SEC Documents (collectively, the “Certifications”) are accurate and complete and comply as to form and content with all applicable Laws, and no current or former executive officer of Parent has failed to make the Certifications required of him or her. Parent has made available to the Company true and complete copies of all correspondence, other than transmittal correspondence or general communications by the SEC not specifically addressed to Parent, between the SEC, on the one hand, and Parent, on the other, since December 31, 2022, including all SEC comment letters and responses to such comment letters and responses to such comment letters by or on behalf of Parent except for such comment letters and responses to such comment letters that are publicly accessible through EDGAR. As of the date of this Agreement, there are no outstanding unresolved comments in comment letters received from the SEC or Nasdaq with respect to Parent SEC Documents. To the Knowledge of Parent, none of the Parent SEC Documents is the subject of ongoing SEC review and there are no inquiries or investigations by the SEC or any internal investigations pending or threatened, including with regards to any accounting practices of Parent. As used in this Section 3.7, the term “file” and variations thereof shall be broadly construed to include any manner in which a document or information is filed, furnished, supplied or otherwise made available to the SEC.
(b) The financial statements (including any related notes) contained or incorporated by reference in the Parent SEC Documents: (i) complied as to form in all material respects with the published rules and regulations of the SEC applicable thereto, (ii) were prepared in accordance with GAAP (except as may be indicated in the notes to such financial statements or, in the case of unaudited financial statements, except as permitted by Form 10-Q of the SEC, and except that the unaudited financial statements may not contain footnotes and are subject to normal and recurring year-end adjustments) applied on a consistent basis unless otherwise noted therein throughout the periods indicated, and (iii) fairly present, in all material respects, the financial position of Parent and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of the respective dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows of Parent for the periods covered thereby. Other than as expressly disclosed in the Parent SEC Documents filed prior to the date hereof, there has been no material change in Parent’s accounting methods or principles that would be required to be disclosed in Parent’s financial statements in accordance with GAAP.
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(c) Parent’s independent registered public accounting firm has at all times since the date of enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act been: (i) a registered public accounting firm (as defined in Section 2(a)(12) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act), (ii) to the Knowledge of Parent, “independent” with respect to Parent within the meaning of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act, and (iii) to the Knowledge of Parent, in compliance with subsections (g) through (l) of Section 10A of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board thereunder.
(d) Since December 31, 2022, through the date of this Agreement, Parent has not received any comment letter from the SEC or the staff thereof or any correspondence from officials of Nasdaq or the staff thereof relating to the delisting or maintenance of listing of the Parent Common Stock on Nasdaq. As of the date of this Agreement, Parent has timely responded to all comment letters of the staff of the SEC relating to the Parent SEC Documents, and the SEC has not advised Parent that any final responses are inadequate, insufficient or otherwise non-responsive. Parent has made available to the Company true, correct and complete copies or all comment letters, written inquiries and enforcement correspondences between the SEC, on the one hand, and Parent, on the other hand, occurring since December 31, 2022 and will, reasonably promptly following the receipt thereof, make available to the Company any such correspondence sent or received after the date of this Agreement. To the Knowledge of Parent, as of the date of this Agreement, none of the Parent SEC Documents is the subject of an ongoing SEC report or outstanding SEC comment.
(e) Since December 31, 2022, there have been no formal investigations regarding financial reporting or accounting policies and practices discussed with, reviewed by or initiated at the direction of the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, principal accounting officer or general counsel of Parent, the Parent Board or any committee thereof, other than ordinary course audits or reviews of accounting policies and practices or internal controls required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
(f) Parent is and since its first date of listing on Nasdaq, has been, in compliance in all material respects with the applicable current listing and governance rules and regulations of Nasdaq.
(g) Parent maintains, and at all times since December 31, 2022, has maintained, a system of internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP and to provide reasonable assurance (i) that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, (ii) that receipts and expenditures are made only in accordance with authorizations of management and the Parent Board, (iii) regarding prevention or timely detection of the unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of Parent’s assets that could have a material effect on Parent’s financial statements and (iv) that Parent maintains records in reasonable detail which accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of Parent and any of its Subsidiaries. Parent has evaluated the effectiveness of Parent’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, and, to the extent required by applicable Law, presented in any applicable Parent SEC Document that is a report on Form 10-K or Form 10-Q (or any amendment thereto) its conclusions about the effectiveness of the internal control over financial reporting as of the end of the period covered by such report or amendment based on such evaluation. Parent has disclosed, based on its most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to Parent’s auditors and audit committee (and has described in Section 3.7(g) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule) (A) all material weaknesses and all significant deficiencies, if any, in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting that are reasonably likely to adversely affect Parent’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information, (B) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves Parent, any of its Subsidiaries, Parent’s management or other employees who have a role in the preparation of financial statements or the internal accounting controls utilized by the Parent and its Subsidiaries, and (C) any claim or allegation regarding any of the foregoing. Parent has not identified, based on its most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design or operation of Parent’s internal control over financial reporting.
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(h) Parent maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that are reasonably designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by Parent in the periodic reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the required time periods, and that all such information is accumulated and communicated to Parent’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and to make the Certifications.
(i) Parent has not been and is not currently a “shell company” as defined under Section 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
3.8 Absence of Changes. Except as set forth in Section 3.8 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, after the date of the Parent Balance Sheet, Parent and its Subsidiaries have conducted its business only in the Ordinary Course of Business (except for the execution and performance of this Agreement and the discussions, negotiations and transactions related thereto) and there has not been any (a) Parent Material Adverse Effect and (b) neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has done any of the following:
(a) declared, accrued, set aside or paid any dividend or made any other distribution in respect of any shares of its capital stock or repurchased, redeemed or otherwise reacquired any shares of its capital stock or other securities (except in connection with the payment of the exercise price and/or withholding Taxes incurred upon the exercise, settlement or vesting of any award granted under the Parent Stock Plans);
(b) sold, issued, granted, pledged or otherwise disposed of or encumbered or authorized any of the foregoing with respect to: (i) any capital stock or other security of Parent (except for Parent Common Stock issued upon the valid exercise of outstanding Parent Options), (ii) any option, warrant or right to acquire any capital stock or any other security, other than option grants to employees in the Ordinary Course of Business, or (iii) any instrument convertible into or exchangeable for any capital stock or other security of Parent;
(c) except as required to give effect to anything in contemplation of the Closing, amended any of its Organizational Documents, or effected or been a party to any merger, consolidation, share exchange, business combination, recapitalization, reclassification of shares, stock split, reverse stock split or similar transaction except, for the avoidance of doubt, the Contemplated Transactions;
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(d) formed any Subsidiary or acquired any equity interest or other interest in any other Entity or entered into a joint venture with any other Entity;
(e) (i) lent money to any Person (except for the advance of reasonable business expenses to employees, directors and consultants in the Ordinary Course of Business),
(ii) incurred or guaranteed any indebtedness for borrowed money, or (iii) guaranteed any debt securities of others;
(f) other than as required by applicable Law or the terms of any Parent Benefit Plan as in effect on the date of this Agreement: (i) adopted, terminated, established or entered into any Parent Benefit Plan; (ii) caused any Parent Benefit Plan to be amended in any material respect; (iii) paid any material bonus or distributed any profit-sharing account balances or similar payment to, or, other than in the Ordinary Course of Business, increased the amount of the wages, salary, commissions, benefits or other compensation or remuneration payable to, any of its directors, officers or employees; (iv) increased the severance or change-of-control benefits offered to any current, former or new employees, directors or consultants or (v) hired, terminated or gave notice of termination (other than for cause) to any (x) officer or (y) employee whose annual base salary is or is expected to be more than
$100,000 per year;
(g) entered into any collective bargaining agreement or similar agreement with any labor union, or similar labor organization;
(h) entered into any material transaction other than (i) in the Ordinary Course of Business or (ii) in connection with the Contemplated Transactions;
(i) acquired any material asset or sold or otherwise irrevocably disposed of any of its assets or properties, or granted any Encumbrance (other than a Permitted Encumbrance) with respect to such assets or properties, except in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(j) sold, assigned, transferred, licensed, sublicensed or otherwise disposed of any material Parent IP;
(k) made, changed or revoked any material Tax election, failed to pay any income or other material Tax as such Tax becomes due and payable, filed any amendment making any material change to any Tax Return, settled or compromised any income or other material Tax liability, entered into any Tax allocation, sharing, indemnification or other similar agreement or arrangement (including any “closing agreement” described in Section 7121 of the Code (or any similar Law) with any Governmental Body, but excluding customary commercial Contracts entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business the principal subject matter of which is not Taxes), requested or consented to any extension or waiver of any limitation period with respect to any claim or assessment for any income or other material Taxes (other than pursuant to an extension of time to file any Tax Return granted in the Ordinary Course of Business of not more than six months), or adopted or changed any material accounting method in respect of Taxes;
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(l) made any expenditures, incurred any Liabilities or discharged or satisfied any Liabilities, in each case, in amounts that exceed the aggregate amount of $100,000;
(m) other than as required by Law or GAAP, taken any action to change accounting policies or procedures;
(n) initiated or settled any Legal Proceeding; or
(o) agreed, resolved or committed to do any of the foregoing.
3.9 Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities. As of the date hereof, neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has any Liability, individually or in the aggregate, except for: (a) Liabilities disclosed, reflected or reserved against in the Parent Balance Sheet, (b) Liabilities that have been incurred by Parent or its Subsidiaries since the date of the Parent Balance Sheet in the Ordinary Course of Business and which are not material to Parent or its Subsidiaries, individually or in the aggregate, (c) Liabilities for performance of obligations of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries under Parent Contracts in the Ordinary Course of Business, which, in each case, are not related to any breach or default of Parent or its Subsidiaries, (d) Liabilities incurred in connection with the Contemplated Transactions, and (e) Liabilities described in Section 3.9 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule.
3.10 Title to Assets. Each of Parent and its Subsidiaries owns, and has good and valid title to, or, in the case of leased properties and assets, valid leasehold interests in, all tangible properties or tangible assets and equipment used or held for use in its business or operations or purported to be owned by it that are material to Parent and its Subsidiaries or their business, including: (a) all tangible assets reflected on the Parent Balance Sheet, and (b) all other tangible assets reflected in the books and records of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries as being owned by Parent or such Subsidiary. All of such assets are owned or, in the case of leased assets, leased by Parent or its Subsidiaries free and clear of any Encumbrances, other than Permitted Encumbrances.
3.11 Real Property; Leasehold. Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries own or ever have owned any real property. Parent has made available to the Company (a) an accurate and complete list of all real properties with respect to which Parent directly or indirectly holds a valid leasehold interest as well as any other real estate that is in the possession of, or occupied or leased by, Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, and (b) copies of all leases under which any such real property is possessed, occupied or leased (the “Parent Real Estate Leases”), each of which is in full force and effect, with no existing material default thereunder by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, or to the Knowledge of Parent, any other party thereto. Parent’s possession, occupancy, lease, use and/or operation of each such leased property conforms to all applicable Laws in all material respects, and Parent has exclusive possession of each such leased property and leasehold interest and has not granted any occupancy rights to tenants or licensees with respect to such leased property or leasehold interest. In addition, each such leased property and leasehold interest is free and clear of all Encumbrances other than Permitted Encumbrances. Parent has not received any written notice from its landlords or any Governmental Body that: (i) relates to violations of building, zoning, safety or fire ordinances or regulations, (ii) claims any defect or deficiency with respect to any of such properties, or (iii) requests the performance of any repairs, alterations or other work to such properties.
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3.12 Intellectual Property; Privacy.
(a) Section 3.12(a) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule identifies each item of Parent Registered IP, including, with respect to each application and registration: (i) the name of the applicant or registrant and any other co-owners, (ii) the jurisdiction of application or registration, (iii) the application or registration number, (iv) the date of issue, filing, or registration, as applicable, and (v) to the extent applicable, the expiration date. To the Knowledge of Parent, each of the Patents and Patent applications included in Section 3.12(a) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule properly identifies by name each and every inventor of the inventions claimed therein as determined in accordance with applicable Laws of the United States and the applicable foreign jurisdiction. For all Parent Registered IP owned or purported to be owned, in whole or in part, by the Parent (the “Owned Parent Registered IP”), and all other Parent Registered IP for which the Parent has responsibility for prosecution and maintenance activities, all necessary registration, maintenance, renewal and other relevant filing fees due through the Closing Date have been timely paid and all necessary documents and certificates in connection therewith have been timely filed with the relevant Patent, Trademark, Copyright, Internet domain name or other authorities in the United States or the applicable foreign jurisdiction, as the case may be, for the purpose of maintaining such Parent Registered IP in full force and effect and, except as set forth on Section 3.12(a) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, there are no such filings, payments or other actions that must be made or taken on or before the three-month anniversary of the Closing Date. As of the date of this Agreement, no cancellation, interference, opposition, reissue, reexamination or other proceeding of any nature (other than office actions or similar communications issued by any Governmental Body in the ordinary course of prosecution of any pending applications for registration) is pending or, to the Knowledge of Parent, threatened in writing, in which the scope, validity, enforceability or ownership of any Parent IP is being or has been contested or challenged. To the Knowledge of Parent, each item of Parent IP is valid and enforceable, and with respect to the material Parent Registered IP, subsisting. The Parent and its Subsidiaries have complied with all Laws regarding the duty of disclosure, candor and good faith in connection with each Patent included in the Owned Parent Registered IP and all other Parent Registered IP for which the Parent or its Subsidiaries has responsibility for prosecution and maintenance activities.
(b) Parent or its Subsidiaries: (i) exclusively own, are the sole assignee of, or have exclusively licensed all Owned Parent Registered IP and all other Parent IP (other than as disclosed in Section 3.12(b) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule), and (ii) has valid and continuing rights, pursuant to the Parent In-bound Licenses, to use all other material Intellectual Property Rights as the same are used in or necessary for the conduct of the business as presently conducted by the Parent and its Subsidiaries, in each case, free and clear of all Encumbrances other than Permitted Encumbrances. The Owned Parent Registered IP is currently in compliance in all material respects with all Laws necessary to record and perfect Parent’s or its Subsidiaries’, as applicable, interest in, and the chain of title of, the Owned Parent Registered IP and to ensure the ability to claim priority in all jurisdictions. The Parent IP constitute all Intellectual Property Rights used in, material to or otherwise necessary for the operation of Parent’s and any of its Subsidiaries’ business as currently conducted. Each Parent Associate involved in the creation or development of any material Parent IP, pursuant to such Parent Associate’s activities on behalf of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, has signed a written agreement containing an assignment of such Parent Associate’s rights in such Parent IP to Parent or its Subsidiaries. Each Parent Associate who has or has had access to Parent’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ trade secrets or confidential information has signed a written agreement containing confidentiality provisions protecting the Parent IP, trade secrets and confidential information. Parent has maintained copies of each such executed written agreement and, to the Knowledge of the Parent, no party thereto is in default or breach of any such agreements. Parent and its Subsidiaries have taken commercially reasonable steps to protect and preserve the confidentiality of their respective trade secrets and confidential information.
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(c) No funding, facilities or personnel of any Governmental Body or any university, college, research institute or other educational institution has been used or is being used to create, in whole or in part, any Parent IP that are owned or purported to be owned by Parents or any of its Subsidiaries, except for any such funding or use of facilities or personnel that does not result in such Governmental Body or institution obtaining ownership rights, license rights, or any other right to such Parent IP (except for use rights during the term of the applicable agreement between the Parent or its Subsidiary and such Governmental Body or educational institution), including the right to receive royalties for the practice of such Parent IP (other than pursuant to any Parent In-bound License disclosed on Section 3.12(d) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule).
(d) Section 3.12(d) of Parent Disclosure Schedule sets forth each license agreement pursuant to which Parent (i) is granted a license under any material Intellectual Property Right owned by any third party that is used by Parent or its Subsidiaries in its business as currently conducted (each a “Parent In-bound License”), or (ii) grants to any third party a license under any material Parent IP (each a “Parent Out-bound License”) (provided, that, Parent In-bound Licenses shall not include, when entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business, material transfer agreements, services agreements, clinical trial agreements, agreements with Parent Associates, non-disclosure agreements, commercially available Software-as-a-Service offerings, or off-the-shelf software licenses; and Parent Out-bound Licenses shall not include, when entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business, material transfer agreements, clinical trial agreements, services agreements, non-disclosure agreements, or non-exclusive outbound licenses). All Parent In-bound Licenses and Parent Out-bound Licenses, to the Knowledge of Parent, are in full force and effect and are valid, enforceable and binding obligations of Parent or its Subsidiaries and, to the Knowledge of Parent, each other party to such Parent In-bound Licenses or Parent Out-bound Licenses. Neither Parent, nor, to the Knowledge of Parent, any other party to such Parent In-bound Licenses or Parent Out-bound Licenses, is in material breach under any Parent In-bound Licenses or Parent Out-bound Licenses. Except as set forth in Section 3.12(c) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, none of the terms or conditions of any Parent In-bound License or any Parent Out-bound License requires Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their Affiliates to maintain, develop or prosecute any Intellectual Property Rights.
(e) To the Knowledge of Parent: (i) the operation of the business of Parent and its Subsidiaries as currently conducted has not infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated and does not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any Intellectual Property Rights of any other Person, and (ii) no other Person is infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating any Parent IP or any Intellectual Property Rights exclusively licensed to the Parent. No Legal Proceeding is pending (or, to the Knowledge of Parent, is threatened in writing) (A) against Parent or its Subsidiaries alleging that the operation of the business of Parent or its Subsidiaries infringes or constitutes the misappropriation or other violation of any Intellectual Property Rights of another Person, or (B) by Parent or its Subsidiaries alleging that another Person has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated any of the Parent IP or any Intellectual Property Rights exclusively licensed to the Parent. Since December 31, 2022, neither Parent nor its Subsidiaries have received any written notice or other written communication alleging that the operation of the business of Parent or its Subsidiaries infringes or constitutes the misappropriation or other violation of any Intellectual Property Right of another Person.
(f) None of the Parent IP owned by the Parent or, to the Knowledge of Parent, any Parent IP exclusively licensed by Parent or its Subsidiaries, is subject to any pending or outstanding injunction, directive, order, judgment or other disposition of dispute, that adversely and materially restricts the use, transfer, registration or licensing by Parent or its Subsidiaries of any such Parent IP.
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(g) To the Knowledge of Parent, Parent and the operation of Parent’s and its Subsidiaries’ business are, and have at all times been, in material compliance with all applicable Laws and Privacy and Data Processing Requirements. To the knowledge of Parent, Parent and its Subsidiaries have at all applicable times provided all notices, and obtained and maintained all rights, consents, and authorizations, to Process Parent Data as Processed by or for Parent or its Subsidiaries. Since December 31, 2022, there have been (i) no loss or theft of, or security breach relating to. Parent Data, (ii) no violation of any security policy of Parent or its Subsidiaries regarding any such Parent Data, and (iii) no unauthorized access to, or unauthorized, unintended, or improper use, disclosure, or other Processing of, any Parent Data. Parent and its Subsidiaries have taken commercially reasonable steps and implemented reasonable disaster recovery and security plans and procedures to protect the information technology systems used in, material to or necessary for operation of Parent’s or its Subsidiaries business as currently conducted and Parent Data from unauthorized use, access, or other Processing, and the Parent has taken commercially reasonable steps to require that any third party with access to Parent Data collected by or on behalf of the Parent has taken commercially reasonable steps to protect the Parent Data provided to them by the Parent. The Parent has implemented and maintained commercially reasonable policies, procedures and systems for receiving and appropriately responding to requests from individuals concerning their Parent Data where such steps are required by applicable Privacy and Data Processing Requirements.
(h) To the Knowledge of Parent, there have been no (i) material malfunctions or unauthorized intrusions or breaches of the information technology systems used in, material to or necessary for the operation of Parent’s or its Subsidiaries’ business, (ii) material unauthorized access to, or other processing of, Parent Data, or (iii) material breaches, security incidents, misuse of or unauthorized access to or disclosure of any Parent Data in the possession or control of the Parent and the Parent has not provided or been legally required to provide any notices to any Person in connection with an unauthorized disclosure of Parent Data. To the Knowledge of the Parent, the Parent has not been the subject of or received written notice of any complaints, claims or investigations related to their collection, use, storage or processing of Parent Data or alleging any violation of applicable Privacy and Data Processing Requirements.
(i) The Parent has taken reasonable security and other measures, including measures against unauthorized disclosure, to protect and maintain the secrecy, confidentiality and value of the Know-How and other confidential information included in the Parent IP. No trade secret, Know-How or proprietary information material to the business of the Parent as presently conducted, as of the date of this Agreement has been authorized to be disclosed or, to the Knowledge of the Parent, has been actually disclosed by the Parent or any Subsidiary to any Person other than pursuant to a non-disclosure agreement or other agreement adequately restricting the disclosure and use of such Intellectual Property Rights or information, and excluding any Know-How or proprietary information disclosed by the Parent in publications or public filings, including as required under applicable securities laws.
(j) To the Knowledge of Parent, the computer systems, including the software, firmware, hardware, networks, interfaces, platforms and related systems, owned, leased or licensed by the Parent an (collectively, the “Parent Systems”) perform in all material respects as is necessary for the conduct of its business as presently conducted by Parent. To the Knowledge of the Parent, in the 12 months immediately prior to the date of this Agreement, (i) there have been no material failures, breakdowns or other adverse events materially affecting any such Parent Systems that have caused a material disruption or interruption to the conduct of the business of the Parent as currently conducted, and (ii) there have not been any material incidents of unauthorized access or other security breaches of the Parent Systems.
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3.13 Agreements, Contracts and Commitments.
(a) Section 3.13 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule lists the following Parent Contracts in effect as of the date of this Agreement other than any Parent Benefit Plans (each, a “Parent Material Contract” and collectively, the “Parent Material Contracts”):
(i) a material Contract as defined in Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K as promulgated under the Securities Act;
(ii) each Parent Contract relating to any agreement of indemnification or guaranty not entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(iii) each Parent Contract containing: (A) any covenant limiting in any material respect the freedom of Parent or its Subsidiaries to engage in any line of business or compete with any Person, (B) any most-favored nation or other preferred pricing arrangement in favor of a Person other than Parent or any similar term by which any Person is or could become entitled to any benefit, right or privilege that must be at least as favorable to such Person as those offered to any other Person, (C) any exclusivity provision, option to receive a license, right of first refusal or right of first negotiation or similar covenant in favor of a Person other than Parent, or (D) any non-solicitation provision not entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(iv) each Parent Contract relating to capital expenditures and requiring payments after the date of this Agreement in excess of $100,000 pursuant to its express terms and not cancelable without penalty;
(v) each Parent Contract relating to the disposition or acquisition of material assets or any ownership interest in any Entity;
(vi) each Parent Contract relating to any mortgages, indentures, loans, notes or credit agreements, security agreements or other agreements or instruments relating to the borrowing of money or extension of credit or creating any material Encumbrances with respect to any assets of Parent or its Subsidiaries or any loans or debt obligations with officers or directors of Parent;
(vii) each Parent Contract requiring payment by or to Parent after the date of this Agreement in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate in the current calendar year or any future calendar year pursuant to its express terms relating to: (A) any agreement involving the development or commercialization of any pharmaceutical product (identifying any that contain exclusivity provisions), (B) any agreement involving provision of services or products with respect to any pre-clinical or clinical development activities of Parent, (C) any dealer, distributor, joint marketing, alliance, joint venture, cooperation, development or other agreement currently in force under which Parent has continuing obligations to develop or market any product, technology or service, or any agreement pursuant to which Parent has continuing obligations to develop any Intellectual Property Rights that will not be owned, in whole or in part, by Parent, or (D) any Parent Contract with any third party providing any services relating to the manufacture or production of any product, service or technology of Parent or any Parent Contract to sell, distribute or commercialize any products or service of Parent;
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(viii) each Parent Contract with any financial advisor, broker, finder, investment banker or other similar Person providing financial advisory services to Parent in connection with the Contemplated Transactions;
(ix) each Parent Real Estate Lease;
(x) each Parent Contract with any Governmental Body;
(xi) each Parent Out-bound License and Parent In-bound License, and each Parent Contract containing a covenant not to sue or otherwise enforce any Intellectual Property Rights;
(xii) each Parent Contract requiring the payment of any royalty, dividend or similar arrangement based on the revenues or profits of Parent or its Subsidiaries;
(xiii) each Parent Contract, offer letter, employment agreement, or independent contractor agreement with any employee, independent contractor or other natural person service provider that: (A) is not immediately terminable by Parent without notice, severance, or other cost or liability, except as required under applicable Law, or (B) provides for retention payments, change-of-control payments, severance, accelerated vesting, or any similar payment or benefit that may or will become due as a result of the Merger;
(xiv) each Parent Contract providing any option to receive a license or other right, any right of first negotiation, any right of first refusal or any similar right to any Person related to any material Parent IP or material Intellectual Property Right licensed to Parent under a Parent In-bound License; and
(xv) each Parent Contract entered into in settlement of any Legal Proceeding or other dispute; and
(xvi) any other Contract that is not terminable at will (with no penalty or payment or requirement for prior notice, except as required by applicable law) by Parent or its Subsidiaries, as applicable, and (A) which involves payment or receipt by Parent or its Subsidiaries after the date of this Agreement under any such agreement, Contract or commitment of more than $100,000 in the aggregate, or obligations after the date of this Agreement in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate, or (B) that is material to the business or operations of Parent and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(b) Parent has delivered or made available to the Company accurate and complete copies of all Parent Material Contracts, including all amendments thereto. There are no Parent Material Contracts that are not in written form. Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has, nor, to Parent’s Knowledge, as of the date of this Agreement, has any other party to a Parent Material Contract, breached, violated or defaulted under, or received notice that it breached, violated or defaulted under, any of the terms or conditions of any Parent Material Contract. As to Parent and its Subsidiaries, as of the date of this Agreement, each Parent Material Contract is valid, binding, enforceable and in full force and effect, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions. No Person is renegotiating, or has a right pursuant to the terms of any Parent Material Contract to change, any material amount paid or payable to Parent under any Parent Material Contract or any other material term or provision of any Parent Material Contract, and no Person has indicated to Parent that it desires to renegotiate, modify, not renew or cancel any Parent Material Contract.
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3.14 Compliance; Permits. Parent or its Subsidiaries hold all required Governmental Authorizations which are material to the operation of the business of Parent or such Subsidiary as currently conducted (the “Parent Permits”). Section 3.14 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule identifies each Parent Permit. Each such Parent Permit is valid and in full force and effect, and Parent is in material compliance with the terms of the Parent Permits. No Legal Proceeding is pending or, to the Knowledge of Parent, threatened, which seeks to revoke, limit, suspend, or materially modify any Parent Permit.
3.15 Legal Proceedings; Orders.
(a) As of the date of this Agreement, there is no pending Legal Proceeding and, to the Knowledge of Parent, no Person has threatened in writing to commence any Legal Proceeding:
(i) that involves (A) Parent, (B) any of its Subsidiaries, (C) any Parent Associate (in his or her capacity as such) or (D) any of the material assets owned or used by Parent or its Subsidiaries, or (ii) that challenges, or that would have the effect of preventing, delaying, making illegal or otherwise interfering with, the Contemplated Transactions.
(b) Except as set forth in Section 3.15(b) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, since December 31, 2022 through the date of this Agreement, no Legal Proceeding has been pending against Parent that resulted in material liability to Parent.
(c) There is no order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree to which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of the material assets owned or used by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, is subject. To the Knowledge of Parent, no officer of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is subject to any order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree that prohibits such officer or employee from engaging in or continuing any conduct, activity or practice relating to the business of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or to any material assets owned or used by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries.
3.16 Tax Matters.
(a) Parent and each of its Subsidiaries have filed all income and other material Tax Returns that were required to be filed by or with respect to it under applicable Law. All such Tax Returns are correct and complete in all material respects and have been prepared in compliance with all applicable Law. No written claim has ever been made by any Governmental Body in any jurisdiction where Parent or any of its Subsidiaries does not file a particular Tax Return or pay a particular Tax that Parent or such Subsidiary is subject to taxation by that jurisdiction.
(b) All income and other material Taxes due and owing by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries on or before the date hereof (whether or not shown on any Tax Return) have been fully and timely paid. The unpaid Taxes of Parent and its Subsidiaries did not, as of the date of the Parent Balance Sheet, materially exceed the reserve for Tax liability (excluding any reserve for deferred Taxes established to reflect timing differences between book and Tax items) set forth on the face of the Parent Balance Sheet. Since the Parent Balance Sheet Date, neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has incurred any material Liability for Taxes outside the Ordinary Course of Business.
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(c) All Taxes that Parent and each of its Subsidiaries is or was required by Law to withhold or collect have been duly and timely withheld or collected in all material respects on behalf of its respective employees, independent contractors, stockholders, lenders, customers or other third parties and have been timely paid to the proper Governmental Body or other Person or properly set aside in accounts for this purpose.
(d) There are no Encumbrances for material Taxes (other than Permitted Encumbrances) upon any of the assets of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries.
(e) No deficiencies for a material amount of Taxes with respect to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries have been claimed, proposed or assessed by any Governmental Body in writing. There are no pending or ongoing and, to the Knowledge of Parent, threatened audits, assessments or other actions for or relating to any liability in respect of a material amount of Taxes of Parent. Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries (or predecessors thereof) has waived any statute of limitations or agreed to any extension of time with respect to any income or other material Tax assessment or deficiency.
(f) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has been a United States real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897(c)(2) of the Code during the applicable period specified in Section 897(c)(1)(A)(ii) of the Code.
(g) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any Tax allocation agreement, Tax sharing agreement, Tax indemnity agreement, or similar agreement or arrangement, other than customary commercial Contracts entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business the principal subject matter of which is not Taxes.
(h) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries will be required to include any item of income in, or exclude any item of deduction from, taxable income for any Tax period (or portion thereof) ending after the Closing Date as a result of any: (i) change in method of accounting for Tax purposes for a Tax period ending on or prior to the Closing Date, (ii) use of an improper method of accounting for a Tax period ending on or prior to the Closing Date, (iii) “closing agreement” as described in Section 7121 of the Code (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign Law) executed on or prior to the Closing Date, (iv) intercompany transaction or excess loss account described in Treasury Regulations under Section 1502 of the Code (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign Law), (v) installment sale or open transaction disposition made on or prior to the Closing Date; (vi) prepaid amount, advance payment or deferred revenue received or accrued on or prior to the Closing Date, (vii) application of Section 367(d) of the Code to any transfer of intangible property on or prior to the Closing Date, or (viii) application of Sections 951 or 951A of the Code (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign Law) to any income received or accrued on or prior to the Closing Date. Parent has not made any election under Section 965(h) of the Code.
(i) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has ever been: (i) a member of a consolidated, combined or unitary Tax group (other than such a group the common parent of which is Parent), or (ii) a party to any joint venture, partnership, or other arrangement that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income Tax purposes. Parent has no Liability for any material Taxes of any Person (other than Parent and any of its Subsidiaries) under Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-6 (or any similar provision of state, local, or foreign Law), as a transferee or successor, by Contract (other than a Contract entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business the principal subject matter of which is not Taxes) or otherwise by operation of Law.
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(j) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has distributed stock of another Person, or had its stock distributed by another Person, in a transaction that was purported or intended to be governed in whole or in part by Section 355 of the Code or Section 361 of the Code (or any similar provisions of state, local or foreign Law).
(k) Parent has never had a permanent establishment (within the meaning of an applicable Tax treaty) or otherwise had an office or fixed place of business in a country other than the country in which it is organized.
(l) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has participated in or been a party to a transaction that, as of the date of this Agreement, constitutes a “listed transaction” within the meaning of Section 6707A(c)(2) of the Code and Treasury Regulations Section 1.6011-4(b)(2).
(m) Section 3.16(m) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule sets forth the entity classification of Parent and each of its Subsidiaries for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has made an election or taken any other action to change its federal and state income tax classification from such classification.
For purposes of this Section 3.16, each reference to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries shall be deemed to include any Person that was liquidated into, merged with, or is otherwise a predecessor to, Parent.
3.17 Employee and Labor Matters; Benefit Plans.
(a) Section 3.17(a) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule is a list of all Parent Benefit Plans, other than employment offer letters on Parent’s standard form and other than individual Parent Options or other compensatory equity award agreements made pursuant to the Parent’s standard forms, in which case only representative standard forms of such agreements shall be scheduled. “Parent Benefit Plan” means each: (i) “employee benefit plan” as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA, and (ii) other pension, retirement, deferred compensation, excess benefit, profit sharing, bonus, incentive, equity or equity-based, phantom equity, employment, consulting, severance, change-of-control, retention, health, life, disability, group insurance, paid time off, holiday, welfare and fringe benefit plan, program, agreement, Contract, or arrangement (whether written or unwritten, qualified or nonqualified, funded or unfunded, subject or not subject to ERISA and including any that have been frozen), in each case, sponsored, maintained, administered, contributed to, or required to be contributed to, by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries for the benefit of any current or former employee, director, officer or independent contractor of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or under which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries has any actual or contingent liability (including, without limitation, by reason of having a Parent ERISA Affiliate). Section 3.17(a) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule indicates which of the Parent Benefit Plans are maintained by a professional employer organization (“Parent PEO Plans”). Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, all representations pursuant to this Section 3.17 in respect of any Parent PEO Plan shall only be made to Parent’s Knowledge.
(b) As applicable with respect to each material Parent Benefit Plan, and to the extent provided to Parent from the professional employer organization, Parent has made available to the Company true and complete copies of (i) each material Parent Benefit Plan, including all amendments thereto, and in the case of an unwritten material Parent Benefit Plan, a written description thereof, (ii) all current trust documents, investment management Contracts, custodial agreements, administrative services agreements and insurance and annuity Contracts relating thereto, (iii) the current summary plan description and each summary of material modifications thereto, (iv) the most recently filed annual reports with any Governmental Body (e.g., Form 5500 and all schedules thereto), (v) the most recent IRS determination, opinion or advisory letter, (vi) the most recent summary annual reports, nondiscrimination testing reports, actuarial reports, financial statements and trustee reports, and (vii) all notices and filings from the IRS or Department of Labor or other Governmental Body concerning audits or investigations, or “prohibited transactions” within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.
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(c) Each Parent Benefit Plan has been maintained, operated and administered in compliance in all material respects with its terms and the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code and all other Laws.
(d) The Parent Benefit Plans which are “employee pension benefit plans” within the meaning of Section 3(2) of ERISA and which are intended to meet the qualification requirements of Section 401(a) of the Code have received determination or opinion letters from the IRS on which they may currently rely to the effect that such plans are qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code and the related trusts are exempt from federal income Taxes under Section 501(a) of the Code, respectively, and nothing has occurred that would reasonably be expected to materially adversely affect the qualification of such Parent Benefit Plan or the tax exempt status of the related trust.
(e) Neither Parent, any of its Subsidiaries nor any Parent ERISA Affiliate maintains, contributes to, is required to contribute to, or has any actual or contingent liability with respect to, (i) any “employee pension benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(2) of ERISA) that is subject to Title IV or Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code, (ii) any “multiemployer plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(37) of ERISA), (iii) any “multiple employer plan” (within the meaning of Section 413 of the Code) or (iv) any “multiple employer welfare arrangement” (within the meaning of Section 3(40) of ERISA).
(f) There are no pending audits or investigations by any Governmental Body involving any Parent Benefit Plan, and no pending or, to the Knowledge of Parent, threatened claims (except for routine individual claims for benefits payable in the normal operation of the Parent Benefit Plans), suits or proceedings involving any Parent Benefit Plan, or, to the Knowledge of Parent, any fiduciary thereof or service provider thereto, in any case except as would not be reasonably expected to result in material liability to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries. All contributions and premium payments required to have been made under any of the Parent Benefit Plans or by applicable Law (without regard to any waivers granted under Section 412 of the Code), have been timely made and neither Parent nor any Parent ERISA Affiliate has any material liability for any unpaid contributions with respect to any Parent Benefit Plan.
(g) None of Parent, any of its Subsidiaries or any Parent ERISA Affiliates, or to the Knowledge of Parent, any fiduciary, trustee or administrator of any Parent Benefit Plan, has engaged in, or in connection with the Contemplated Transactions will engage in, any transaction with respect to any Parent Benefit Plan which would subject any such Parent Benefit Plan, Parent, any of its Subsidiaries or Parent ERISA Affiliates to a material Tax, material penalty or material liability for a “prohibited transaction” under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.
(h) No Parent Benefit Plan provides death, medical, dental, vision, life insurance or other welfare benefits beyond termination of service or retirement other than coverage mandated by Law and to the Knowledge of Parent, neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has made a written representation promising the same.
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(i) Except as set forth in Section 3.17(i) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, neither the execution of this Agreement, nor the performance of the Contemplated Transactions (either alone or when combined with the occurrence of any other event, including without limitation, a termination of employment) will: (i) result in any payment becoming due to any current or former employee, director, officer, or independent contractor of Parent or any Subsidiary thereof pursuant to any Parent Benefit Plan, (ii) increase any amount of compensation or benefits otherwise payable under any Parent Benefit Plan, (iii) result in the acceleration of the time of payment, funding or vesting of any benefits under any Parent Benefit Plan, (iv) require any contribution or payment to fund any obligation under any Parent Benefit Plan or (v) limit the right to merge, amend or terminate any Parent Benefit Plan.
(j) Except as set forth in Section 3.17(j) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, neither the execution of, nor the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions (either alone or when combined with the occurrence of any other event, including without limitation, a termination of employment) will result in the receipt or retention by any person who is a “disqualified individual” (within the meaning of Code Section 280G) with respect to Parent and its Subsidiaries of any payment or benefit that is or could be characterized as a “parachute payment” (within the meaning of Code Section 280G), determined without regard to the application of Code Section 280G(b)(5).
(k) No current or former employee, officer, director or independent contractor of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries has any “gross up” agreements with the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or other assurance of reimbursement by the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries for any Taxes imposed under Code Section 409A or Code Section 4999.
(l) To the Knowledge of Parent, each Parent Benefit Plan maintained for the benefit of service providers located outside of the United States (each, a “Parent Foreign Plan”) has obtained from the Governmental Body having jurisdiction with respect to such plan any required determinations that such plan is in compliance with the Laws of any such Governmental Body.
(m) The assets of each of the Parent Foreign Plans that is similar to an employee pension benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA (whether or not subject to ERISA)) or that otherwise provides retirement, medical or life insurance benefits following retirement or other termination of service or employment are at least equal to the liabilities of such plans.
(n) Parent has provided to the Company a true and correct list, as of the date of this Agreement, containing the names of all current full-time, part-time or temporary employees and independent contractors (and indication as such), and, as applicable: (i) the annual dollar amount of all cash compensation in the form of wages, salary, fees, commissions, or director’s fees payable to each person, (ii) dates of employment or service, (iii) title and, with respect to independent contractors, a current written description of such person’s contracting services, (iv) visa status, if applicable; and (v) with respect to employees, (A) a designation of whether they are classified as exempt or non-exempt for purposes of FLSA and any similar state, federal or Foreign law and (B) whether such an employee is on leave, and if so, the expected return date.
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(o) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries is or has ever been a party to, bound by, or has a duty to bargain under, any collective bargaining agreement or other Contract with a labor union or similar labor organization representing any of its employees, and there is no labor union or similar labor organization representing or, to the Knowledge of Parent, purporting to represent or seeking to represent any employees of Parent or its Subsidiaries, including through the filing of a petition for representation election. There is not and has not been in the past five years, nor, to the Knowledge of Parent, is there or has there been in the past five years any threat of, any strike, slowdown, work stoppage, lockout, union election petition, demand for recognition, or any similar activity or dispute, or any union organizing activity, against Parent or any of its Subsidiaries.
(p) Parent and each of its Subsidiaries is, and since December 31, 2022 has been, in material compliance with all applicable Laws respecting labor, employment, employment practices, and terms and conditions of employment, including worker classification, discrimination, harassment and retaliation, equal employment opportunities, fair employment practices, meal and rest periods, immigration, employee safety and health, payment of wages (including overtime wages), unemployment and workers’ compensation, leaves of absence, and hours of work. Except as would not be reasonably likely to result in a material liability to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, with respect to employees of Parent and its Subsidiaries, each of Parent and its Subsidiaries, since December 31, 2022, has withheld and reported all amounts required by Law to be withheld and reported with respect to wages, salaries and other payments, benefits, or compensation to employees. There is no material Legal Proceeding pending or, to the Knowledge of Parent, threatened or reasonably anticipated against Parent or any of its Subsidiaries relating to any current or former employee, applicant for employment, or consultant of Parent.
(q) Within the preceding two years, Parent has complied in all material respects with the WARN Act.
3.18 Environmental Matters. Parent and each of its Subsidiaries are in compliance and since December 31, 2022 have complied with all applicable Environmental Laws, which compliance includes the possession by Parent of all permits and other Governmental Authorizations required under applicable Environmental Laws and compliance with the terms and conditions thereof, except for any failure to be in such compliance that, either individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to be material to Parent or its business. Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has received since December 31, 2022 (or prior to that time, which is pending and unresolved), any written notice or other communication (in writing or otherwise), whether from a Governmental Body or other Person, that alleges that Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is not in compliance with or has liability pursuant to any Environmental Law and, to the Knowledge of Parent, there are no circumstances that would reasonably be expected to prevent or interfere with Parent’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ compliance in any material respects with any Environmental Law, except where such failure to comply would not reasonably be expected to be material to Parent or its business. No current or (during the time a prior property was leased or controlled by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries) prior property leased or controlled by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries has had a release of or exposure to Hazardous Materials in material violation of or as would reasonably be expected to result in any material liability of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to Environmental Law. No consent, approval or Governmental Authorization of or registration or filing with any Governmental Body is required by Environmental Laws in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions by Parent or Merger Subs. Prior to the date hereof, Parent has provided or otherwise made available to the Company true and correct copies of all material environmental reports, assessments, studies and audits in the possession or control of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to any property leased or controlled by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or any business operated by them.
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3.19 Transactions with Affiliates. Except as set forth in the Parent SEC Documents filed prior to the date of this Agreement, since the date of Parent’s last proxy statement filed in December 2025 with the SEC, no event has occurred that would be required to be reported by Parent pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K. Section 3.19 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule identifies each Person who is (or who may be deemed to be) an Affiliate of Parent as of the date of this Agreement.
3.20 Insurance. Parent has delivered or made available to the Company accurate and complete copies of all insurance policies and all self-insurance programs and arrangements relating to the business, assets, liabilities and operations of Parent and each of its Subsidiaries. Each of such insurance policies is in full force and effect and Parent and each of its Subsidiaries is in compliance in all material respects with the terms thereof. Other than customary end of policy notifications from insurance carriers, since December 31, 2022, neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice or other communication regarding any actual or possible: (a) cancellation or invalidation of any insurance policy, or (b) refusal or denial of any coverage, reservation of rights or rejection of any material claim under any insurance policy. Parent and each of its Subsidiaries has provided timely written notice to the appropriate insurance carrier(s) of each Legal Proceeding that is currently pending against Parent or any of its Subsidiaries for which Parent or such Subsidiary has insurance coverage, and no such carrier has issued a denial of coverage or a reservation of rights with respect to any such Legal Proceeding, or informed Parent or any of its Subsidiaries of its intent to do so.
3.21 Opinion of Financial Advisor. The Parent Board has received an opinion of H.C. Wainwright & Co., dated on or about the date of the Agreement, to the effect that, as of the date of such opinion and subject to the assumptions, qualifications, limitations and other matters set forth therein, the Transaction (as specified in such opinion) is fair, from a financial point of view, to Parent Stockholders. It is agreed and understood that such opinion is furnished solely for the use of the Parent Board and may not be relied upon by the Company or any other party.
3.22 No Financial Advisors. No broker, finder or investment banker, other than Tungsten Partners LLC, H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC, UBS Securities LLC, and Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., is entitled to any brokerage fee, finder’s fee, opinion fee, success fee, transaction fee or other fee or commission in connection with the Contemplated Transactions based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries.
3.23 Anti-Bribery. None of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries nor any of their respective directors, officers, employees or, to Parent’s Knowledge, agents or any other Person acting on its behalf has directly or indirectly made any bribes, rebates, payoffs, influence payments, kickbacks, illegal payments, illegal political contributions, or other payments, in the form of cash, gifts, or otherwise, or taken any other action, in violation of Anti-Bribery Laws. Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries is or has been the subject of any investigation or inquiry by any Governmental Body with respect to potential violations of Anti-Bribery Laws.
3.24 Valid Issuance. The Parent Common Stock and Parent Convertible Preferred Stock to be issued in the Merger will, when issued in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. To the Knowledge of Parent as of the date of this Agreement, no “bad actor” disqualifying event described in Rule 506(d)(1)(i)–(viii) of the Securities Act (a “Disqualifying Event”) is applicable to Parent or, to Parent’s Knowledge, any Parent Covered Person, except for a Disqualifying Event as to which Rule 506(d)(2)(ii)–(iv) or (d)(3) of the Securities Act is applicable.
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3.25 3i Agreement. Parent represents and warrants that the 3i Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the parties thereto and is in full force and effect.
3.26 Disclaimer of Other Representations or Warranties.
(a) Except as previously set forth in this Section 3 or in any certificate delivered by Parent or Merger Subs to the Company pursuant to this Agreement, neither Parent nor any Merger Sub makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, at law or in equity, with respect to it or any of its assets, liabilities or operations, and any such other representations or warranties are hereby expressly disclaimed.
(b) Each of Parent, First Merger Sub and Second Merger Sub acknowledges and agrees that, except for the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Section 2 or in any certificate delivered by the Company to Parent or the Merger Subs pursuant to this Agreement, none of Parent, First Merger Sub, Second Merger Sub or any of their respective Representatives is relying on any other representation or warranty of the Company or any other Person made outside of Section 2 or such certificates, including regarding the accuracy or completeness of any such other representations or warranties or the omission of any material information, whether express or implied, in each case, with respect to the Contemplated Transactions.
| SECTION 4. | ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES |
4.1 Parent Stockholders’ Meeting.
(a) As promptly as practicable following the execution of this Agreement, Parent shall take all action necessary under applicable Law to call, give notice of and hold a meeting of the holders of Parent Common Stock for the purpose of seeking:
(i) approval of the Preferred Stock Conversion Proposal;
(ii) if deemed necessary or appropriate by Parent or as otherwise required by applicable Law or Contract, (a) such additional matters as may be agreed to by Parent and Company to facilitate approval of the Preferred Stock Conversion Proposal, and (b) as may be agreed to by Parent and Company to authorize the amendment of Parent’s certificate of incorporation to authorize sufficient Parent Common Stock in Parent’s certificate of incorporation for the conversion of the Parent Convertible Preferred Stock issued pursuant to this Agreement and/or to effectuate the Nasdaq Reverse Split (the “Charter Amendment Proposal”) (the matters contemplated by the clauses 4.1(a)(i) and 4.1(a)(ii) are referred to as the “Parent Stockholder Matters,” and such meeting, the “Parent Stockholders’ Meeting”).
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(b) Parent agrees to use reasonable best efforts to: (i) call and hold the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting as soon as practicable after the date hereof, and (ii) to solicit and obtain the Required Parent Stockholder Vote, including without limitation: (A) engaging a nationally recognized proxy solicitation firm and information agent, (B) actively attempting to contact and obtain votes from the Parent’s Stockholders (including its retail stockholders with meaningful holdings of Parent Common Stock), and (C) working with the Parent’s transfer agent and inspector of elections to facilitate an appropriate and straightforward process for obtaining the Required Parent Stockholder Vote. If the approval of the Parent Stockholder Matters is not obtained at the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting or if on a date preceding the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting, Parent reasonably believes that (x) it will not receive proxies sufficient to obtain the Required Parent Stockholder Vote, whether or not quorum would be present, or (y) it will not have sufficient shares of Parent Common Stock represented (whether in person or by proxy) to constitute a quorum necessary to conduct the business of the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting, then, in each case, Parent will use its reasonable best efforts to adjourn the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting one or more times to a date or dates no more than 30 days after the scheduled date for such meeting, and to obtain such approvals at such time. If the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting is not so adjourned, and/or if the approval of the Parent Stockholder Matters is not then obtained, Parent will use its reasonable best efforts to obtain such approvals as soon as practicable thereafter, and in any event to obtain such approvals at the next occurring annual meeting of the Parent Stockholders or, if such annual meeting is not scheduled to be held within six months after the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting, a special meeting of the Parent Stockholders to be held within six months after the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting. Parent will hold an annual meeting or special meeting of Parent Stockholders, at which a vote of the Parent Stockholders to approve the Parent Stockholder Matters will be solicited and taken, at least once every six months until Parent obtains approval of the Parent Stockholder Matters.
(c) Parent agrees that: (i) the Parent Board shall recommend that the holders of Parent Common Stock vote to approve the Parent Stockholder Matters and shall use its reasonable best efforts to solicit and obtain such approval within the time frames set forth in Section 4.2(b), and (ii) the Proxy Statement shall include a statement to the effect that the Parent Board recommends that the Parent Stockholders vote to approve the Parent Stockholder Matters.
(d) The Company and Parent acknowledge that, under Nasdaq Stock Market Rules, the Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares will not be entitled to vote on the Preferred Stock Conversion Proposal.
4.2 Proxy Statement.
(a) As promptly as practicable after the Closing Date and subject to Section 4.2(d), Parent and Company shall prepare and Parent shall file with the SEC a proxy statement relating to the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting to be held in connection with the Parent Stockholder Matters (together with any amendments thereof or supplements thereto, the “Proxy Statement”). The Proxy Statement will include AICPA audited financial statements of the Company prepared in accordance with GAAP, pro forma financial statements of the Company as required by all securities Laws, and, as applicable, reviewed but unaudited interim financial statements of the Company. Parent shall use its reasonable best efforts to: (i) cause the Proxy Statement to comply with applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC, and (ii) respond promptly to any comments or requests of the SEC or its staff related to the Proxy Statement. Parent shall not file the Proxy Statement, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or respond to SEC comments or requests, without providing the Company a reasonable opportunity to review and comment thereon (which comments shall be reasonably considered by Parent).
(b) Parent covenants and agrees that the Proxy Statement (and the letters to stockholders, notice of meeting and form of proxy included therewith) will: (i) comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of applicable U.S. federal securities Laws and the DGCL, and (ii) will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
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(c) Parent shall use reasonable best efforts to cause the Proxy Statement to be mailed to Parent Stockholders as promptly as practicable after the Proxy Statement has been filed with the SEC and either: (i) the SEC has indicated that it does not intend to review the Proxy Statement or that its review of the Proxy Statement has been completed, or (ii) at least ten (10) days shall have passed since the Proxy Statement was filed with the SEC without receiving any correspondence from the SEC commenting upon, or indicating that it intends to review, the Proxy Statement, all in compliance with applicable U.S. federal securities laws and the DGCL. If Parent, First Merger Sub, Second Merger Sub or the Surviving Entity: (A) become aware of any event or information that, pursuant to the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, should be disclosed in an amendment or supplement to the Proxy Statement, (B) receives notice of any SEC request for an amendment or supplement to the Proxy Statement or for additional information related thereto, or (C) receives SEC comments on the Proxy Statement, as the case may be, then such Party, as the case may be, shall promptly inform the other Parties thereof and shall cooperate and consult with such other Parties in Parent filing such amendment or supplement with the SEC and, if appropriate, in mailing such amendment or supplement to the Parent Stockholders.
(d) The Parties shall reasonably cooperate and consult with each other and provide, and shall use reasonable best efforts to cause their respective Representatives to provide, the other Party and its Representatives, with all true, correct and complete information regarding such Party that is required by Law to be included in the Proxy Statement or reasonably requested by the other Party to be included in the Proxy Statement. If at any time the information provided in Proxy Statement has or will become “stale” and new information should, as determined by Parent acting reasonably, be disclosed in an amendment or supplement to the Proxy Statement, then Parent shall promptly inform the Company thereof and each such Party shall cooperate and consult with one another, and shall use reasonable best efforts to cause their accounting and other outside professionals to so cooperate and consult, (i) in providing the financial reporting necessary for such filing and (ii) in filing such amendment or supplement with the SEC (and, if related to the Proxy Statement, mailing such amendment or supplement to the Parent Stockholders).
4.3 Reservation of Parent Common Stock; Issuance of Shares of Parent Common Stock. For as long as any Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares remain outstanding, Parent shall at all times reserve and keep available, free from preemptive rights, out of its authorized but unissued Parent Common Stock or shares of Parent Common Stock held in treasury by Parent, for the purpose of effecting the conversion of the Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares, the full number of shares of Parent Common Stock then issuable upon the conversion of all Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares then outstanding. All shares of Parent Common Stock delivered upon conversion of the Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares shall be newly issued shares or shares held in treasury by Parent, shall have been duly authorized and validly issued and shall be fully paid and nonassessable, and shall be free from preemptive rights and free of any Encumbrance.
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4.4 Employee Benefits.
(a) For purposes of vesting, eligibility to participate, and level of benefits (other than for purposes of determining awards under an equity incentive plan or accrued benefits under any defined benefit pension plan) under the benefit plans, programs, Contracts or arrangements of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries (including, following the Closing, the Surviving Entity and its Subsidiaries) (the “Post-Closing Plans”), Parent shall use reasonable best efforts to cause each employee of the Company who remains employed by Parent or the Surviving Entity, or any of their respective Subsidiaries following the Closing, (collectively, the “Continuing Employees”) to be credited with his or her years of service with the Company or any of its predecessors; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to the extent that its application would result in a duplication of benefits. In addition, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, for purposes of each Post-Closing Plan providing medical, dental, pharmaceutical and/or vision benefits to a Continuing Employee, Parent shall use reasonable best efforts to cause all pre-existing condition exclusions and actively-at-work requirements of such Post-Closing Plan to be waived for such Continuing Employee and his or her covered dependents to the extent and unless such conditions would have been waived or satisfied under the employee benefit plan whose coverage is being replaced under the Post-Closing Plan, and Parent shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause any eligible expenses incurred by a Continuing Employee and his or her covered dependents during the portion of such plan year in which coverage is replaced with coverage under a Post-Closing Plan to be taken into account under such Post-Closing Plan with respect to the plan year in which participation in such Post-Closing Plan begins for purposes of satisfying all deductible, coinsurance and maximum out-of-pocket requirements applicable to such Continuing Employee and his or her covered dependents for such plan year as if such amounts had been paid in accordance with such Post-Closing Plan.
(b) The provisions of this Section 4.4 are for the sole benefit of Parent and the Company and no provision of this Agreement shall: (i) create any third-party beneficiary or other rights in any Person, including rights in respect of any benefits that may be provided, directly or indirectly, under any Company Benefit Plan, Parent Benefit Plan or Post-Closing Plan or rights to continued employment or service with the Company or the Parent (or any Subsidiary thereof), (ii) be construed as an amendment, waiver or creation of or limitation on the ability to terminate any Company Benefit Plan, Parent Benefit Plan or Post-Closing Plan, or (iii) limit the ability of the Parent to terminate the employment of any Continuing Employee or modify the at-will status of any Continuing Employees.
4.5 Indemnification of Officers and Directors.
(a) From the First Effective Time through the sixth anniversary of the date on which the First Effective Time occurs, each of Parent and the Surviving Entity shall indemnify and hold harmless each person who is now, or has been at any time prior to the date hereof, or who becomes prior to the First Effective Time, a director or officer of Parent or the Company or any of their respective Subsidiaries, respectively (the “D&O Indemnified Parties”), against all claims, losses, liabilities, damages, judgments, fines and reasonable fees, costs and expenses, including attorneys’ fees and disbursements, incurred in connection with any claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, arising out of or pertaining to the fact that the D&O Indemnified Party is or was a director or officer of Parent or of the Company, or any Subsidiary thereof, asserted or claimed prior to the First Effective Time, in each case, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable Law. Except in the case of fraud, each D&O Indemnified Party will be entitled to advancement of expenses incurred in the defense of any such claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation from each of Parent and the Surviving Entity, jointly and severally, upon receipt by Parent or the Surviving Entity from the D&O Indemnified Party of a request therefor; provided that any such person to whom expenses are advanced provides an undertaking to Parent, to the extent then required by the DGCL and DLLCA, as applicable, to repay such advances if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to indemnification.
(b) The provisions of the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of Parent with respect to indemnification, advancement of expenses and exculpation of present and former directors and officers of Parent that are presently set forth in the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of Parent shall not be amended, modified or repealed for a period of six years from the First Effective Time in a manner that would adversely affect the rights thereunder of individuals who, at or prior to the First Effective Time, were officers or directors of Parent, unless such modification is required by applicable Law. The certificate of formation and limited liability company agreement of the Surviving Entity shall contain, and Parent shall cause the certificate of formation and limited liability company agreement of the Surviving Entity to so contain, provisions no less favorable with respect to indemnification, advancement of expenses and exculpation of present and former directors and officers as those presently set forth in the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of Parent.
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(c) From and after the First Effective Time: (i) the Surviving Entity shall fulfill and honor in all respects the obligations of the Company to its D&O Indemnified Parties as of immediately prior to the Closing pursuant to any indemnification provisions under the Company’s Organizational Documents and pursuant to any indemnification agreements between the Company and such D&O Indemnified Parties set forth on Schedule 4.5(c)(i) hereto, with respect to claims arising out of matters occurring at or prior to the First Effective Time, and (ii) Parent shall fulfill and honor in all respects the obligations of Parent to its D&O Indemnified Parties as of immediately prior to the Closing pursuant to any indemnification provisions under Parent’s Organizational Documents and pursuant to any indemnification agreements between Parent and such D&O Indemnified Parties set forth on Schedule 4.5(c)(ii) hereto, with respect to claims arising out of matters occurring at or prior to the First Effective Time.
(d) From and after the First Effective Time, Parent shall continue to maintain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies, with an effective date as of the Closing Date, on commercially available terms and conditions and with coverage limits customary for U.S. public companies similarly situated to Parent. From and after the First Effective Time, Parent shall pay all expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, that are incurred by the persons referred to in this Section 4.5 in connection with their successful enforcement of the rights provided to such persons in this Section 4.5.
(e) The provisions of this Section 4.5 are intended to be in addition to the rights otherwise available to the current and former officers and directors of Parent and the Company by Law, charter, statute, bylaw or agreement, and shall operate for the benefit of, and shall be enforceable by, each of the D&O Indemnified Parties, their heirs and their representatives.
(f) In the event Parent or the Surviving Entity or any of their respective successors or assigns (i) consolidates with or merges into any other Person and shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation or merger, or (ii) transfers all or substantially all of its properties and assets to any Person, then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that the successors and assigns of Parent or the Surviving Entity, as the case may be, shall succeed to the obligations set forth in this Section 4.5. Parent shall cause the Surviving Entity to perform all of the obligations of the Surviving Entity under this Section 4.5.
4.6 Additional Agreements. The Parties shall use reasonable best efforts to cause to be taken all actions necessary to consummate the Contemplated Transactions. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Party to this Agreement: (a) shall make all filings and other submissions (if any) and give all notices (if any) required to be made and given by such Party in connection with the Contemplated Transactions; (b) shall use reasonable best efforts to obtain each Consent (if any) reasonably required to be obtained (pursuant to any applicable Law or Contract, or otherwise) by such Party in connection with the Contemplated Transactions or for such Contract to remain in full force and effect; (c) shall use reasonable best efforts to lift any injunction prohibiting, or any other legal bar to, the Contemplated Transactions; and (d) shall use reasonable best efforts to satisfy the conditions precedent to the consummation of this Agreement.
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4.7 Listing. Parent shall use its reasonable best efforts to (a) maintain its existing listing on Nasdaq, (b) prepare and submit to Nasdaq a notification form for the listing of the shares of the Parent Common Stock to be issued upon conversion of the Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares in connection with the Contemplated Transactions, to cause such shares to be approved for listing (subject to official notice of issuance), (c) effect the Nasdaq Reverse Split, if deemed necessary, and (d) to the extent required by Nasdaq rules and regulations, file an initial listing application for the Parent Common Stock on Nasdaq (the “Nasdaq Listing Application”), which Nasdaq Listing Application shall be prepared in cooperation with the Company, and to cause such Nasdaq Listing Application to be conditionally approved prior to the First Effective Time. The Parties will use reasonable best efforts to coordinate with respect to compliance with Nasdaq rules and regulations. Each Party will promptly inform the other Party of all verbal or written communications between Nasdaq and such Party or its representatives. The Company will cooperate with Parent as reasonably requested by Parent with respect to the Nasdaq Listing Application and promptly furnish to Parent all information concerning the Company Stockholders that may be required or reasonably requested in connection with any action contemplated by this Section 4.7.
4.8 Tax Matters.
(a) For U.S. federal income Tax purposes: (i) the Parties intend that the First Merger and the Second Merger, taken together, constitute an integrated transaction described in Rev. Rul. 2001-46, 2001-2 C.B. 321 that qualifies as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Intended Tax Treatment”), and (ii) this Agreement is intended to be, and is hereby adopted as, a “plan of reorganization” for purposes of Sections 354 and 361 of the Code and Treasury Regulations Sections 1.368-2(g) and 1.368-3(a), to which the Parent, Merger Subs and the Company are parties under Section 368(b) of the Code. The Parties shall treat and shall not take any tax reporting position (including during the course of any audit, litigation or other proceeding with respect to Taxes) inconsistent with the treatment of the Merger as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code for U.S. federal, state and other relevant Tax purposes, unless otherwise required pursuant to a “determination” within the meaning of Section 1313(a) of the Code. The Parties shall (and shall cause their Affiliates to) not take any action or cause any action to be taken, or fail to take or cause to be taken any action, which action or failure to act would reasonably be expected to prevent the Merger from qualifying, for the Intended Tax Treatment.
4.9 Legends. Parent shall be entitled to place appropriate legends, including the legend noted in Section 4.15, on the book entries and/or certificates evidencing any shares of Parent Common Stock or Parent Convertible Preferred Stock to be received in the Merger by equity holders of the Company who may be considered “affiliates” of Parent for purposes of Rules 144 and 145 under the Securities Act reflecting the restrictions set forth in Rules 144 and 145 and to issue appropriate stop transfer instructions to the transfer agent for Parent Common Stock and Parent Convertible Preferred Stock.
4.10 Directors and Officers. The Parties shall take all necessary action so that immediately after the Second Effective Time, (a) the Parent Board is comprised of six members, with five such members designated by Parent, and one such members designated by the Company, as set forth on Schedule 4.10(a) hereto, which includes a majority of independent directors (in accordance with Nasdaq requirements) and (b) the Person set forth on Schedule 4.10(b) hereto under the heading “Officer” is elected or appointed, as applicable, to the position of officer of Parent, as set forth therein, to serve in such positions effective as of the Second Effective Time until a successor is duly appointed and qualified in accordance with applicable Law.
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4.11 Section 16 Matters. Prior to the First Effective Time, Parent and the Company shall take all such steps as may be required (to the extent permitted under applicable Laws) to cause any acquisitions of Parent Common Stock, restricted stock awards to acquire Parent Common Stock and any Parent Options to purchase Parent Common Stock in connection with the Contemplated Transactions, by each individual who is reasonably expected to become subject to the reporting requirements of Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act with respect to Parent, to be exempt under Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.
4.12 Closing Certificates.
(a) The Company will prepare and deliver to Parent prior to the Closing a certificate signed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company (“Company Closing Certificate”) in a form reasonably acceptable to Parent setting forth, as of immediately prior to the First Effective Time: (i) each holder of Company Common Stock, Company Preferred Stock and Company Options, (ii) such holder’s name and address, (iii) the number and type of Company Common Stock held and/or underlying the Company Options as of immediately prior to the First Effective Time for each such holder, and the number and type of Company Preferred Stock held, and (iv) the number of shares of Parent Common Stock and/or Parent Convertible Preferred Stock to be issued to such holder, or to underlie any Parent Option to be issued to such holder, pursuant to this Agreement in respect of the Company Capital Stock, Company Preferred Stock or Company Options held by such holder as of immediately prior to the First Effective Time, which shall be calculated using the Exchange Ratio (the “Allocation Certificate”).
(b) Parent will prepare and deliver to the Company prior to the Closing a certificate signed by the Chief Financial Officer of Parent (“Parent Closing Certificate”) in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company, setting forth, as of immediately prior to the Reference Date: (i) the number of Parent Common Stock outstanding and (ii) (A) each record holder of Parent Options or Parent RSUs, (B) such record holder’s name, (C) the number of shares of Parent Common Stock underlying the Parent Options or Parent RSUs as of the First Effective Time for such holder (the “Parent Outstanding Shares Certificate”).
4.13 Takeover Statutes. If any Takeover Statute is or may become applicable to the Contemplated Transactions, each of the Company, the Company Board, Parent and the Parent Board, as applicable, shall grant such approvals and take such actions as are necessary so that the Contemplated Transactions may be consummated as promptly as practicable on the terms contemplated by this Agreement and otherwise act to eliminate or minimize the effects of such statute or regulation on the Contemplated Transactions.
4.14 Obligations of Merger Subs. Parent will take all action necessary to cause Merger Subs to perform their obligations under this Agreement and to consummate the Merger on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
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4.15 Private Placement. Each of the Company and Parent shall take all reasonably necessary action on its part such that the issuance of Parent Common Stock and Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares pursuant to this Agreement and the 3i Agreement constitutes a transaction exempt from registration under the Securities Act in compliance with Rule 506 of Regulation D promulgated thereunder. Each certificate representing Parent Common Stock Payment Shares and the Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares comprising Merger Consideration shall, until such time that such shares are not so restricted under the Securities Act, bear a legend identical or similar in effect to the following legend (together with any other legend or legends required by applicable state securities applicable Law or otherwise, if any):
“THE SHARES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 (THE “ACT”) AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED, ASSIGNED, PLEDGED OR HYPOTHECATED UNLESS REGISTERED UNDER THE ACT OR UNLESS AN EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE ACT IS AVAILABLE.”
4.16 Issuance of Parent RSUs. Parent agrees to take all necessary steps, including obtaining approval from the Parent Board and increasing the share available for future grant under the Parent Stock Plans, as necessary, to grant 1,786,402 Parent RSUs to Roger Sawhney and 2,353,883 Parent RSUs to Richard Langford, as soon as practicable following the Closing. Such Parent RSUs shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable Parent Stock Plans and standard vesting provisions as determined by James Morrison and the compensation committee of the Parent Board.
4.17 Use of Proceeds. Parent covenants and agrees that the proceeds from the Parent Financing and the Cy Convertible Note Financing shall be used primarily to support and fund the development of the Company’s lead drug candidate, CY-201, and other drug candidates developed by or on behalf of the Company.
| SECTION 5. | CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO OBLIGATIONS OF EACH PARTY |
The obligations of each Party to effect the Merger and otherwise consummate the Contemplated Transactions to be consummated at the Closing are subject to the satisfaction or, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, the written waiver by each of the Parties, at or prior to the Closing Date, of each of the following conditions:
5.1 No Restraints. No temporary restraining order, preliminary or permanent injunction or other order preventing the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions shall have been issued by any court of competent jurisdiction or other Governmental Body of competent jurisdiction and remain in effect and there shall not be any Law which has the effect of making the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions illegal.
5.2 Certificate of Designation. Parent shall have filed the Certificate of Designation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
5.3 Parent Financing. The Securities Purchase Agreement shall be in full force and effect and cash proceeds not less than the Concurrent Investment Amount shall have been received by Parent, or will be received by Parent substantially simultaneously with the Closing, in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Securities Purchase Agreement, and Parent shall have received confirmation of the Parent Financing.
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| SECTION 6. | CLOSING DELIVERIES OF THE COMPANY |
The obligations of Parent and Merger Subs to effect the Merger and otherwise consummate the transactions to be consummated at the Closing are subject to the satisfaction or the written waiver by Parent, at or prior to the Closing, of each of the following conditions:
6.1 Documents. Parent shall have received the following documents, each of which shall be in full force and effect:
(a) a written resignation, in a form reasonably satisfactory to Parent, dated as of the Closing Date and effective as of the Closing, executed by each of the directors of the Company listed on Schedule 6.1(a) hereto;
(b) the Company Closing Certificate; and
(c) the Allocation Certificate.
6.2 FIRPTA Certificate. Parent shall have received: (i) an original signed statement from the Company that the Company is not, and has not been at any time during the applicable period specified in Section 897(c)(1)(A)(ii) of the Code, a “United States real property holding corporation,” as defined in Section 897(c)(2) of the Code, conforming to the requirements of Treasury Regulations Section 1.1445-2(c)(3) and 1.897-2(h), and (ii) an original signed notice to be delivered to the IRS in accordance with the provisions of Treasury Regulations Section 1.897-2(h)(2), together with written authorization for Parent to deliver such notice to the IRS on behalf of the Company following the Closing, each dated as of the Closing Date, duly executed by an authorized officer of the Company, and in form and substance reasonably acceptable to Parent; provided, that the Parent’s sole remedy for the Company’s failure to deliver such documentation shall be to withhold pursuant to Section 1.11.
6.3 Company Lock-Up Agreements. Parent shall have received the Lock-Up Agreements duly executed by each of the Company Signatories, each of which shall be in full force and effect.
6.4 Company Stockholder Support Agreements. Parent shall have received the Company Stockholder Support Agreements duly executed by each of the Company Stockholders, each of which shall be in full force and effect.
6.5 Registration Rights Agreements. Parent shall have received the Registration Rights Agreement duly executed by each of the Purchasers under the Securities Purchase Agreement.
| SECTION 7. | CLOSING DELIVERIES OF PARENT |
The obligations of the Company to effect the Merger and otherwise consummate the transactions to be consummated at the Closing are subject to the satisfaction or the written waiver by the Company, at or prior to the Closing, of each of the following conditions:
7.1 Documents. The Company shall have received the following documents, each of which shall be in full force and effect:
(a) the Parent Outstanding Shares Certificate;
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(b) Parent Closing Certificate; and
(c) certified copies of the resolutions duly adopted by the Parent Board and in full force and effect as of the Closing authorizing the appointment of the directors and officers set forth in Section 4.10.
7.2 Parent Lock-Up Agreements. The Company shall have received the Lock-Up Agreements duly executed by each of the Parent Signatories, each of which shall be in full force and effect.
7.3 Registration Rights Agreements. The Company shall have received the Registration Rights Agreement duly executed by Parent.
| SECTION 8. | MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS |
8.1 Non-Survival of Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company, Parent and Merger Subs contained in this Agreement or any certificate or instrument delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall terminate at the First Effective Time, and only the covenants that by their terms survive the First Effective Time and this Section 8 shall survive the First Effective Time.
8.2 Amendment. This Agreement may be amended with the approval of the respective boards of directors (or managers as applicable) of the Surviving Entity and Parent at any time; provided, however, that after any such approval of this Agreement by a Party’s stockholders, no amendment shall be made which by Law requires further approval of such stockholders without the further approval of such stockholders. This Agreement may not be amended except by an instrument in writing signed on behalf of each of the Surviving Entity and Parent.
8.3 Waiver.
(a) No failure on the part of any Party to exercise any power, right, privilege or remedy under this Agreement, and no delay on the part of any Party in exercising any power, right, privilege or remedy under this Agreement, shall operate as a waiver of such power, right, privilege or remedy; and no single or partial exercise of any such power, right, privilege or remedy shall preclude any other or further exercise thereof or of any other power, right, privilege or remedy.
(b) No Party shall be deemed to have waived any claim arising out of this Agreement, or any power, right, privilege or remedy under this Agreement, unless the waiver of such claim, power, right, privilege or remedy is expressly set forth in a written instrument duly executed and delivered on behalf of such Party and any such waiver shall not be applicable or have any effect except in the specific instance in which it is given.
8.4 Entire Agreement; Counterparts; Exchanges by Electronic Transmission. This Agreement and the other schedules, exhibits, certificates, instruments and agreements referred to in this Agreement constitute the entire agreement and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, both written and oral, among or between any of the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof; provided, however, that the Confidentiality Agreement shall not be superseded and shall remain in full force and effect in accordance with its terms. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
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8.5 Applicable Law; Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the Laws of the State of Delaware, regardless of the Laws that might otherwise govern under applicable principles of conflicts of laws. In any action or proceeding between any of the Parties arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any of the Contemplated Transactions, each of the Parties: (a) irrevocably and unconditionally consents and submits to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the Courts of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or to the extent such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, or, to the extent that neither of the foregoing courts has jurisdiction, the Superior Court of the State of Delaware; (b) agrees that all claims in respect of such action or proceeding shall be heard and determined exclusively in accordance with clause (a) of this Section 8.5, (c) waives any objection to laying venue in any such action or proceeding in such courts, (d) waives any objection that such courts are an inconvenient forum or do not have jurisdiction over any Party, (e) agrees that service of process upon such Party in any such action or proceeding shall be effective if notice is given in accordance with Section 8.8 of this Agreement, and (f) irrevocably and unconditionally waives the right to trial by jury.
8.6 Attorneys’ Fees. In any action at law or suit in equity to enforce this Agreement or the rights of any of the Parties, the prevailing Party in such action or suit (as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction) shall be entitled to recover its reasonable out-of-pocket attorneys’ fees and all other reasonable costs and expenses incurred in such action or suit.
8.7 Assignability. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and shall be enforceable by and inure solely to the benefit of, the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns; provided, however, that neither this Agreement nor any of a Party’s rights or obligations hereunder may be assigned or delegated by such Party without the prior written consent of the other Party, and any attempted assignment or delegation of this Agreement or any of such rights or obligations by such Party without the other Party’s prior written consent shall be void and of no effect.
8.8 Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly delivered and received hereunder (a) one Business Day after being sent for next Business Day delivery, fees prepaid, via a reputable international overnight courier service, (b) upon delivery in the case of delivery by hand, or (c) on the date delivered in the place of delivery if sent by email (with a written or electronic confirmation of delivery) prior to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, otherwise on the next succeeding Business Day, in each case to the intended recipient as set forth below:
if to Parent or Merger Subs:
Ensysce Biosciences, Inc.
7946 Ivanhoe Avenue, Suite 201
La Jolla, CA 92037
Attention: Dr. Lynn Kirkpatrick
Email Address: lkirkpatrick@ensysce.com
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with a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
Troutman Pepper Locke, LLP
Union Trust Building
501 Grant Street
Pittsburg, PA 15219
Attention: Eric Kline
Email: Eric.kline@troutman.com
if to the Company:
Cy Biopharma, Inc.
Oberneuhofstrasse 6,
Baar 6340, Switzerland
Attention: James Morrison
Email: james@cybiopharma.com
with a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
The Orrick Building
405 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-2669
United States
Attention: Edward Dyson, Niki Fang, David Schulman
Email: edyson@orrick.com; nfang@orrick.com; dschulman@orrick.com
8.9 Cooperation. Each Party agrees to cooperate fully with the other Party and to execute and deliver such further documents, certificates, agreements and instruments and to take such other actions as may be reasonably requested by the other Party to evidence or reflect the Contemplated Transactions and to carry out the intent and purposes of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement.
8.10 Severability. Any term or provision of this Agreement that is invalid or unenforceable in any situation in any jurisdiction shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining terms and provisions of this Agreement or the validity or enforceability of the offending term or provision in any other situation or in any other jurisdiction. If a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction declares that any term or provision of this Agreement is invalid or unenforceable, the Parties agree that the court making such determination shall have the power to limit such term or provision, to delete specific words or phrases or to replace such term or provision with a term or provision that is valid and enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the intention of the invalid or unenforceable term or provision, and this Agreement shall be valid and enforceable as so modified. In the event such court does not exercise the power granted to it in the prior sentence, the Parties agree to replace such invalid or unenforceable term or provision with a valid and enforceable term or provision that will achieve, to the extent possible, the economic, business and other purposes of such invalid or unenforceable term or provision.
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8.11 Other Remedies; Specific Performance. Except as otherwise provided herein, any and all remedies herein expressly conferred upon a Party will be deemed cumulative with and not exclusive of any other remedy conferred hereby, or by law or equity upon such Party, and the exercise by a Party of any one remedy will not preclude the exercise of any other remedy. The Parties agree that irreparable damage for which monetary damages, even if available, would not be an adequate remedy, would occur in the event that any Party does not perform the provisions of this Agreement (including failing to take such actions as are required of it hereunder to consummate this Agreement) in accordance with its specified terms or otherwise breaches such provisions. Accordingly, the Parties acknowledge and agree that the Parties shall be entitled to seek an injunction, specific performance and other equitable relief to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof, in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity. Each of the Parties agrees that it will not oppose the granting of an injunction, specific performance or other equitable relief on the basis that any other Party has an adequate remedy at law or that any award of specific performance is not an appropriate remedy for any reason at law or in equity. Any Party seeking an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement shall not be required to provide any bond or other security in connection with any such order or injunction.
8.12 No Third-Party Beneficiaries. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to or shall confer upon any Person (other than the Parties and the D&O Indemnified Parties to the extent of their respective rights pursuant to Section 4.5) any right, benefit or remedy of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement.
8.13 Construction.
(a) References to “cash,” “dollars” or “$” are to U.S. dollars.
(b) For purposes of this Agreement, whenever the context requires: the singular number shall include the plural, and vice versa; the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter genders; the feminine gender shall include the masculine and neuter genders; and the neuter gender shall include masculine and feminine genders.
(c) The Parties have participated jointly in the negotiating and drafting of this Agreement and agree that any rule of construction to the effect that ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting Party shall not be applied in the construction or interpretation of this Agreement, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any Party by virtue of the authorship of any provision of this Agreement.
(d) As used in this Agreement, the words “include” and “including,” and variations thereof, shall not be deemed to be terms of limitation, but rather shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.”
(e) Except as otherwise indicated, all references in this Agreement to “Sections,” “Exhibits” and “Schedules” are intended to refer to Sections of this Agreement and Exhibits and Schedules to this Agreement, respectively.
(f) Any reference to legislation or to any provision of any legislation shall include any modification, amendment, re-enactment thereof, any legislative provision substituted therefore and all rules, regulations, and statutory instruments issued or related to such legislations. All references to legislation or to any provision of any legislation in this Agreement are to those of the United States, unless the contrary is indicated.
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(g) The bold-faced headings and table of contents contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only, shall not be deemed to be a part of this Agreement and shall not be referred to in connection with the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
(h) The inclusion of any information in the Company Disclosure Schedule or Parent Disclosure Schedule shall not be deemed an admission or acknowledgment to any third party, in and of itself and solely by virtue of the inclusion of such information in the Company Disclosure Schedule or Parent Disclosure Schedule, as applicable, that such information is required to be listed in the Company Disclosure Schedule or Parent Disclosure Schedule, as applicable, that such items are material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or Parent and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, as the case may be, or that such items have resulted in a Company Material Adverse Effect or a Parent Material Adverse Effect. The Parties agree that each of the Company Disclosure Schedule and the Parent Disclosure Schedule shall be arranged in sections and subsections corresponding to the numbered and lettered sections and subsections contained in this Agreement. The disclosures in any section or subsection of the Company Disclosure Schedule or the Parent Disclosure Schedule shall qualify other sections and subsections in this Agreement to the extent it is readily apparent on its face from a reading of the disclosure that such disclosure is applicable to such other sections and subsections.
(i) Each of “delivered” or “made available” means, with respect to any documentation, that: (i) prior to 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the date that is two Business Days prior to the date of this Agreement: (A) a copy of such material has been posted to and made available by a Party to the other Party and its Representatives in the electronic data room maintained by such disclosing Party, or (B) such material is disclosed in the Parent SEC Documents filed with the SEC prior to the date hereof and publicly made available on the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval system, or (ii) delivered by or on behalf of a Party or its Representatives via electronic mail or in hard copy form prior to the execution of this Agreement.
(j) Whenever the last day for the exercise of any privilege or the discharge of any duty hereunder shall fall upon a Saturday, Sunday, or any date on which banks in New York, NY, are authorized or obligated by Law to be closed, the Party having such privilege or duty may exercise such privilege or discharge such duty on the next succeeding day which is a regular Business Day.
8.14 Expenses. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, all expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions will be paid by the Party incurring such expenses.
(Remainder of page intentionally left blank)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first above written.
| ENSYSCE BIOSCIENCES, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Dr. Lynn Kirkpatrick | |
| Name: | Dr. Lynn Kirkpatrick | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| PHRMA MERGER SUB I, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Dr. Lynn Kirkpatrick | |
| Name: | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| PHRMA MERGER SUB II, LLC | ||
| By: Ensysce Bioscience, Inc. | ||
| Its: Sole member | ||
| By: | /s/ Dr. Lynn Kirkpatrick | |
| Name: | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
[Signature Page to Agreement and Plan of Merger Agreement]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first above written.
| CY BIOPHARMA, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ James Morrison | |
| Name: | James Morrison | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
[Signature Page to Agreement and Plan of Merger Agreement]
EXHIBIT A
CERTAIN DEFINITIONS
For purposes of this Agreement (including this Exhibit A):
“3i Agreement” means the Omnibus Amendment and Termination Agreement, dated August 5, 2026, by and between the Parent and 3i, LP.
“Act” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.15.
“Affiliate” of a Person means any other Person that directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such Person. The term “control” (including the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”) means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by Contract or otherwise.
“Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Allocation Certificate” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.13.
“Anti-Bribery Laws” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.22.
“Board Approval” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Book-Entry Shares” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.7.
“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which banks in New York, NY, are authorized or obligated by Law to be closed.
“Certificate of Designation” means the Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series C Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C.
“Certificates of Merger” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.3.
“Certifications” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.7(a).
“Charter Amendment Proposal” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1(a)(ii).
“Closing” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.3.
“Closing Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.3.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Company” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
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“Company Associate” means any current or former employee, consultant, independent contractor, officer or director of the Company.
“Company Benefit Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.17(a).
“Company Balance Sheet” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.7(a).
“Company Board” means the board of directors of the Company.
“Company Capital Stock” means the Company Common Stock and the Company Preferred Stock.
“Company Common Stock” means the Common Stock, $0.00001 par value per share, of the Company.
“Company Closing Certificate” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.12(a).
“Company Contract” means any Contract: (a) to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a Party, (b) by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any Company IP or any other asset of the Company or its Subsidiaries is or may become bound or under which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has, or may become subject to, any obligation, or (c) under which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has or may acquire any right or interest.
“Company Data” means all data and information Processed by or for the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, including any Personal Information.
“Company Disclosure Schedule” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.
“Company ERISA Affiliate” means any corporation or trade or business (whether or not incorporated) which is (or at any relevant time was) treated with the Company as a single employer within the meaning of Section 414 of the Code.
“Company Financials” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.7(a).
“Company In-bound License” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.12(d).
“Company IP” means all Intellectual Property Rights that are owned or purported to be owned by, assigned to, or exclusively licensed by, the Company, including without limitation, all Company Registered IP.
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“Company Material Adverse Effect” means any Effect that, considered together with all other Effects that have occurred prior to the date of determination of the occurrence of a Company Material Adverse Effect, has or would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, condition (financial or otherwise), assets, liabilities or results of operations of the Company, taken as a whole; provided, however, that Effects arising or resulting from the following shall not be taken into account in determining whether there has been a Company Material Adverse Effect: (a) general business or economic conditions affecting the industry in which the Company and its Subsidiaries operate, (b) acts of war, armed hostilities or terrorism, acts of God or comparable events, epidemic, pandemic or disease outbreak (including the COVID-19 virus) or any worsening of the foregoing, or any declaration of martial law, quarantine or similar directive, policy or guidance or Law or other action by any Governmental Body in response thereto, (c) changes in financial, banking or securities markets, (d) any change in, or any compliance with or action taken for the purpose of complying with, any Law or GAAP (or interpretations of any Law or GAAP), (e) resulting from the announcement of this Agreement or the pendency of the Contemplated Transactions; provided, that this clause (e) shall not apply to any representation or warranty (or condition to the consummation of the Merger relating to such representation or warranty) to the extent the representation and warranty expressly addresses the consequences resulting from the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions, or (f) resulting from the taking of any action required to be taken by this Agreement; except in each case with respect to clauses (a) through (c), to the extent disproportionately affecting the Company, taken as a whole, relative to other similarly situated companies in the industries in which the Company operates.
“Company Material Contract(s)” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.13(a).
“Company Out-bound License” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.12(d).
“Company Permits” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.14.
“Company Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.6(c).
“Company Preferred Stock” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.6(a).
“Company Real Estate Leases” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.11.
“Company Registered IP” means all Registered IP owned or purported to be owned, in whole or in part, or exclusively licensed by the Company.
“Company Signatories” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Company Stock Certificate” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.7.
“Company Stockholder Matters” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Company Stockholder Support Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Company Stockholders” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Company Systems” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.12(j).
“Concurrent Investment Amount” means $21,500,000 as contemplated by the Securities Purchase Agreement.
“Confidentiality Agreement” means that certain non-disclosure agreement by and between the parties dated as of June 2, 2026, between Parent and Company.
“Consent” means any approval, consent, ratification, permission, waiver or authorization (including any Governmental Authorization).
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“Contemplated Transactions” means the Merger, the Nasdaq Reverse Split (if deemed necessary), Parent Stockholder Support Agreements and the other transactions and actions contemplated by this Agreement to be consummated at or prior to the Closing (but not, for the avoidance of doubt, the actions proposed to be taken as the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting following the Closing pursuant to Section 4.2).
“Continuing Employees” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.4(a).
“Contract” means, with respect to any Person, any written or oral agreement, contract, subcontract, lease (whether for real or personal property), mortgage, license, sublicense or other legally binding commitment or undertaking of any nature to which such Person is a party or by which such Person or any of its assets are bound or affected under applicable Law.
“Cy Convertible Note Financing” means that certain convertible note financing completed between Cy Biopharma, Inc. and certain accredited investors on August 4, 2026.
“Data Processing Policy” means each policy, statement, representation, or notice of the Company, Parent or their respective Subsidiaries relating to the Processing of Company Data or Parent Data (as applicable), privacy, data protection, or security.
“DGCL” means the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
“DLLCA” means the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act.
“D&O Indemnified Parties” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.5(a).
“Disqualifying Event” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.24.
“Dissenting Shares” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.9(a).
“Effect” means any effect, change, event, circumstance, or development.
“Encumbrance” means any lien, pledge, hypothecation, charge, mortgage, security interest, lease, license, option, easement, reservation, servitude, adverse title, claim, infringement, interference, option, right of first refusal, preemptive right, community property interest or restriction or encumbrance of any nature (including any restriction on the voting of any security, any restriction on the transfer of any security or other asset, any restriction on the receipt of any income derived from any asset, any restriction on the use of any asset and any restriction on the possession, exercise or transfer of any other attribute of ownership of any asset).
“Enforceability Exceptions” means the (a) Laws of general application relating to bankruptcy, insolvency and the relief of debtors, and (b) rules of law governing specific performance, injunctive relief and other equitable remedies.
“Entity” means any corporation (including any non-profit corporation), partnership (including any general partnership, limited partnership or limited liability partnership), joint venture, estate, trust, company (including any company limited by shares, limited liability company or joint stock company), firm, society or other enterprise, association, organization or entity, and each of its successors.
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“Environmental Law” means any federal, state, local or foreign Law relating to pollution or protection of human health (as it relates to exposure to Hazardous Materials) or the environment (including ambient air, surface water, ground water, land surface or subsurface strata), including any Law or regulation relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of Hazardous Materials, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials.
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
“Exchange Agent” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.8.
“Exchange Fund” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.8.
“Exchange Ratio” means 23.8187 shares of Parent Common Stock for each share of Company Common Stock (each as calculated on a fully-diluted basis).
“First Certificate of Merger” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.3.
“First Effective Time” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.3.
“First Merger” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“First Merger Sub” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“First Merger Sub Board” means the board of directors of First Merger Sub.
“First Step Surviving Corporation” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.1.
“FLSA” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.17(m).
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles and practices in effect from time to time within the United States applied consistently throughout the period involved.
“Governmental Authorization” means any: (a) permit, license, certificate, franchise, permission, variance, exception, approval, exemption, order, clearance, registration, qualification or authorization issued, granted, given or otherwise made available by or under the authority of any Governmental Body or pursuant to any Law, or (b) right under any Contract with any Governmental Body.
“Governmental Body” means any: (a) nation, state, commonwealth, province, territory, county, municipality, district or other jurisdiction of any nature, (b) federal, state, local, municipal, foreign or other government, (c) governmental or quasi-governmental authority of any nature (including any governmental division, department, agency, commission, bureau, instrumentality, official, ministry, fund, foundation, center, organization, unit, body or Entity and any court or other tribunal, and for the avoidance of doubt, any taxing authority), or (d) self-regulatory organization (including Nasdaq).
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“Hazardous Materials” means any pollutant, chemical, substance and any toxic, infectious, carcinogenic, reactive, corrosive, ignitable or flammable chemical, or chemical compound, or hazardous substance, material or waste, whether solid, liquid or gas, that is subject to regulation, control or remediation under any Environmental Law, including without limitation, crude oil or any fraction thereof, and petroleum products or byproducts.
“Intellectual Property Rights” means any and all of the following arising pursuant to the Laws of any jurisdiction throughout the world, including without limitation: (a) copyrights, applicable to copyrightable works, original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, including literary works (including all forms and types of computer software, including all source code, object code, firmware, development tools, files, records and data, and all documentation related to any of the foregoing), pictorial and graphic works, database and design rights, whether or not registered or published, including all data collections, “moral” rights, mask works and copyright registrations and applications in any of the foregoing and corresponding rights in works of authorship (collectively, “Copyrights”), (b) all trademarks, service marks, trade names, service names, brand names, trade dress rights, and rights, logos, corporate names, and other source or business identifiers, together with the goodwill associated with any of the foregoing, along with all applications, registrations, renewals and extensions thereof (collectively, “Trademarks”), (c) registration right to Internet domain names, URLs, and similar rights, (d) rights under applicable trade secret Laws arising with respect to know how, inventions (including conceptions and/or reductions to practice), invention disclosures, methods, processes, protocols, specifications, techniques, discoveries and improvements, formulae, confidential and proprietary information, technical information, designs, drawings, procedures, models, formulations, manuals and systems, including all biological, chemical, biochemical, toxicological, pharmacological and metabolic material and information and data relating thereto and formulation, clinical, analytical and stability information and data, in each case which are not available in the public domain and have actual or potential commercial value that is derived, in whole or in part, from such secrecy (collectively, “Know-How”), (e) all patents, industrial property rights, patent applications, provisional patent applications and similar instruments (including any and all substitutions, revisions, divisions, continuations, continuations-in-part, divisions, reissues, renewals, re-examinations and extensions and any foreign equivalents of the foregoing (including certificates of invention and any applications therefor)) (collectively, “Patents”), and (f) all rights to prosecute and perfect any of the foregoing through administrative prosecution, registration, recordation or other administrative proceeding, and all causes of action and rights to sue or seek other remedies arising from or relating to any of the foregoing.
“Intended Tax Treatment” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.8(a).
“Investor Agreements” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.21(b).
“IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.
“Knowledge” means, with respect to an individual, that such individual is actually aware of the relevant fact or such individual would reasonably be expected to know such fact in the ordinary course of the performance of such individual’s employment responsibilities. Any Person that is an Entity shall have Knowledge if any officer or director of such Person as of the date such knowledge is imputed has Knowledge of such fact or other matter.
“Law” means any federal, state, national, foreign, material local or municipal or other law, statute, constitution, principle of common law, resolution, ordinance, code, edict, decree, rule, regulation, ruling or requirement issued, enacted, adopted, promulgated, implemented or otherwise put into effect by or under the authority of any Governmental Body (including under the authority of Nasdaq or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority).
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“Legal Proceeding” means any action, suit, litigation, arbitration, proceeding (including any civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or appellate proceeding), hearing, inquiry, audit, examination or investigation commenced, brought, conducted or heard by or before, or otherwise involving, any court or other Governmental Body or any arbitrator or arbitration panel.
“Letter of Transmittal” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.8(b).
“Liability” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.9.
“Lock-Up Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Merger” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Merger Consideration” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.5.
“Merger Subs” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Nasdaq” means the Nasdaq Stock Market, including the Nasdaq Global Select Market or such other Nasdaq market on which shares of Parent Common Stock are then listed .
“Nasdaq Listing Application” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.7.
“Nasdaq Reverse Split” means a reverse stock split of all outstanding shares of Parent Common Stock at a reverse stock split ratio to be reasonably determined by Parent for the purpose of maintaining compliance with Nasdaq listing standards.
“Ordinary Course of Business” means, in the case of each of the Company and Parent, such actions taken in the ordinary course of its normal operations and consistent with its past practices.
“Organizational Documents” means, with respect to any Person (other than an individual): (a) the certificate or certificate of association or incorporation or organization or limited partnership or limited liability company, and any joint venture, limited liability company, operating or partnership agreement and other similar documents adopted or filed in connection with the creation, formation or organization of such Person, and (b) all bylaws, regulations and similar documents or agreements relating to the organization or governance of such Person, in each case, as amended or supplemented.
“Owned Company Registered IP” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.12(a).
“Owned Parent Registered IP” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12(a).
“Parent” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Parent Associate” means any current or former employee, independent contractor, officer or director of Parent.
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“Parent Balance Sheet” means the audited balance sheet of Parent as of December 31, 2025 (the “Parent Balance Sheet Date”) provided to the Company prior to the date of this Agreement.
“Parent Benefit Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.17(a).
“Parent Board” means the board of directors of Parent.
“Parent Closing Certificate” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.12(b).
“Parent Common Stock” means the Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share, of Parent.
“Parent Contract” means any Contract: (a) to which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is a party, (b) by which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or any Parent IP or any other asset of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is or may become bound or under which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries has, or may become subject to, any obligation, or (c) under which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries has or may acquire any right or interest.
“Parent Convertible Preferred Stock” means Parent’s non-voting convertible preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, with the rights, preferences, powers and privileges specified in the Certificate of Designation.
“Parent Covered Person” means, with respect to Parent as an “issuer” for purposes of Rule 506 promulgated under the Securities Act, any Person listed in the first paragraph of Rule 506(d)(1).
“Parent Data” means all data and information Processed by or for Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, including any Personal Information.
“Parent Disclosure Schedule” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.
“Parent ERISA Affiliate” means any corporation or trade or business (whether or not incorporated) which is (or at any relevant time was) treated with Parent or any of its Subsidiaries as a single employer within the meaning of Section 414 of the Code.
“Parent Financing” means an acquisition of shares of Parent Common Stock and Parent Convertible Preferred Stock to be consummated concurrently with the Closing pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement with aggregate gross cash proceeds to Parent of at least the Concurrent Investment Amount.
“Parent Foreign Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.17(l).
“Parent In-bound License” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12(d).
“Parent IP” means all Intellectual Property Rights that are owned or purported to be owned by, assigned to, or exclusively licensed by, Parent or its Subsidiaries, including without limitation, all Parent Registered IP.
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“Parent Material Adverse Effect” means any Effect that, considered together with all other Effects that have occurred prior to the date of determination of the occurrence of a Parent Material Adverse Effect, has or would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, condition (financial or otherwise), assets, liabilities or results of operations of Parent; provided, however, that Effects arising or resulting from the following shall not be taken into account in determining whether there has been a Parent Material Adverse Effect: (a) general business or economic conditions affecting the industry in which Parent operates, (b) acts of war, armed hostilities or terrorism, acts of God or comparable events, epidemic, pandemic or disease outbreak (including the COVID-19 virus) or any worsening of the foregoing, or any declaration of martial law, quarantine or similar directive, policy or guidance or Law or other action by any Governmental Body in response thereto, (c) changes in financial, banking or securities markets, (d) the taking of any action required to be taken by this Agreement, (e) any change in the stock price or trading volume of Parent Common Stock (it being understood, however, that any Effect causing or contributing to any change in stock price or trading volume of Parent Common Stock may be taken into account in determining whether a Parent Material Adverse Effect has occurred, unless such Effects are otherwise excepted from this definition), (f) any change in, or any compliance with or action taken for the purpose of complying with, any Law or GAAP (or interpretations of any Law or GAAP), (g) resulting from the announcement of this Agreement or the pendency of the Contemplated Transactions; provided, that this clause (g) shall not apply to any representation or warranty (or condition to the consummation of the Merger relating to such representation or warranty) to the extent the representation and warranty expressly addresses the consequences resulting from the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions, or (h) resulting from the taking of any action or the failure to take any action, by Parent that is required to be taken by this Agreement, except in each case with respect to clauses (a) through (c), to the extent disproportionately affecting Parent relative to other similarly situated companies in the industries in which Parent operates.
“Parent Material Contract(s)” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.13(a).
“Parent Options” means options or other rights to purchase shares of Parent Common Stock issued by Parent.
“Parent Out-bound License” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12(c).
“Parent Outstanding Shares Certificate” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.12(b).
“Parent PEO Plans” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.17(a).
“Parent Permits” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.14.
“Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.5.
“Parent Real Estate Leases” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.11.
“Parent Registered IP” means all Registered IP owned or purported to be owned, in whole or in part, or exclusively licensed by the Parent.
“Parent RSUs” means any restricted stock unit award granted pursuant to the Parent Stock Plans.
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“Parent SEC Documents” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.7(a).
“Parent Signatories” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Parent Stock Plans” means the Amended and Restated 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan and the Amended and Restated 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan Form of Stock Option Grant Notice and Award Agreement.
“Parent Stockholder Matters” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1(a)(ii).
“Parent Stockholder Support Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Parent Stockholders” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Parent Stockholders’ Meeting” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1(a)(ii).
“Parent Systems” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12(j).
“Party” or “Parties” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Permitted Encumbrance” means: (a) any Encumbrance for current Taxes not yet due and payable or for Taxes that are being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been made on the Company Balance Sheet or the Parent Balance Sheet, as applicable, in accordance with GAAP, (b) minor liens that have arisen in the Ordinary Course of Business and that do not (in any case or in the aggregate) materially detract from the value of the assets or properties subject thereto or materially impair the operations of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Parent, as applicable, (c) liens to secure obligations to landlords, lessors or renters under leases or rental agreements, (d) deposits or pledges made in connection with, or to secure payment of, workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance or similar programs mandated by Law, (e) non-exclusive licenses of Intellectual Property Rights granted by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Parent, as applicable, in the Ordinary Course of Business and that do not (in any case or in the aggregate) materially detract from the value of the Intellectual Property Rights subject thereto, (f) statutory liens in favor of carriers, warehousemen, mechanics and materialmen, to secure claims for labor, materials or supplies the payment for which is not delinquent, and (g) obligations of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Parent under Company In-bound Licenses disclosed in Section 2.12(d) with respect to Company or any of its Subsidiaries or under Parent In-bound Licenses disclosed in Section 3.12(d) with respect to Parent, as the case may be.
“Person” means any individual, Entity or Governmental Body.
“Personal Information” means all information in any form or media that identifies, could be used to identify or is otherwise related to an individual person (including any current, prospective, or former customer, end user or employee), in addition to any definition for “personal information” or any similar term provided by applicable Law or by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in any of its privacy policies, notices or contracts (e.g., “personal data,” “personally identifiable information” or “PII”).”
“PIPE Investors” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
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“Post-Closing Plans” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.4(a).
“Preferred Stock Conversion Proposal” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.5.
“Privacy and Data Processing Requirements” means any applicable (i) Law (including of any applicable foreign jurisdiction) relating to privacy, data protection, security, or Personal Information, including, the Federal Trade Commission Act, California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), HIPAA, EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), any applicable Law relating to breach notification, and any laws relating to the use of biometric identifiers, (ii) Data Processing Policy, or (iii) requirement of any self-regulatory organization, industry standard (including, as applicable, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard), or Contract by which the Company, Parent or their respective Subsidiaries are bound relating to the Processing of Company Data or Parent Data (as applicable), privacy, data protection, or security, including, in each case of (i) through (iii), in connection with direct marketing or the initiation, transmission, monitoring, interception, recording, or receipt of communications.
“Process” means, with respect to any data, information, or information technology system, any operation or set of operations performed thereon, whether or not by automated means, including access, adaptation, alignment, alteration, collection, combination, compilation, consultation, creation, derivation, destruction, disclosure, disposal, dissemination, erasure, interception, maintenance, making available, organization, recording, restriction, retention, retrieval, storage, structuring, transmission, and use, and security measures with respect thereto.
“Proxy Statement” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.2.
“Reference Date” means August 5, 2026.
“Registered IP” means all Intellectual Property Rights that are registered or issued under the authority of, with or by any Governmental Body or Internet domain registrar, including all Patents, registered Copyrights, registered Trademarks, Internet domain names, and all applications for registration of any of the foregoing.
“Registration Rights Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Representatives” means directors, officers, employees, agents, attorneys, accountants, investment bankers, advisors and representatives.
“Required Company Stockholder Vote” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.
“Required Parent Stockholder Vote” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.4.
“Sarbanes-Oxley Act” means the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
“SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Second Certificate of Merger” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.3.
“Second Effective Time” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.3.
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“Second Merger” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Second Merger Sub” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Second Merger Sub Board” means the board of managers of Second Merger Sub.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Securities Purchase Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Series A Preferred Stock” means shares of the Parent’s Series A preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share.
“Series B Preferred Stock” means shares of the Parent’s Series B preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share.
“Series C Preferred Stock” means shares of the Parent’s Series C preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share.
“Stockholder Written Consent” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Subsidiary” means an entity shall be deemed to be a ‘subsidiary’ of a Person if such Person directly or indirectly owns or purports to own, beneficially or of record: (a) an amount of voting securities or other interests in such entity that is sufficient to enable such Person to elect at least a majority of the members of such entity’s board of directors or other governing body, or (b) at least 50% of the outstanding equity, voting, beneficial or financial interests in such Entity.
“Surviving Entity” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.1.
“Takeover Statute” means any “fair price,” “moratorium,” “control share acquisition” or other similar anti-takeover Law.
“Tax” means any: (i) federal, state, local, foreign or other tax, including any income, capital gain, gross receipts, capital stock, profits, transfer, estimated, registration, stamp, premium, escheat, unclaimed property, customs duty, ad valorem, occupancy, occupation, alternative, add-on, windfall profits, value added, severance, property, business, production, sales, use, license, excise, franchise, employment, payroll, social security, disability, unemployment, workers’ compensation, national health insurance, withholding or other taxes, duties, fees, assessments or governmental charges, surtaxes or deficiencies thereof in the nature of a tax, however denominated (whether imposed directly or through withholding and whether or not disputed), and including any fine, penalty, addition to tax, or interest or additional amount imposed by a Governmental Body with respect thereto (or attributable to the nonpayment thereof), and (ii) any liability for payment of amounts described in clause (i) whether as a result of transferee or successor liability, of being a member of an affiliated, consolidated, combined or unitary group for any period, pursuant to a Contract, through operation of Law or otherwise.
“Tax Return” means any return (including any information return), report, statement, declaration, claim for refund, estimate, schedule, notice, notification, form, election, certificate or other document, and any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing, filed with or submitted to, or required to be filed with or submitted to, any Governmental Body (or provided to a payee) in connection with the determination, assessment, collection or payment of any Tax or in connection with the administration, implementation or enforcement of or compliance with any Law relating to any Tax.
“Treasury Regulations” means the United States Treasury regulations promulgated under the Code.
“U.S.” or “United States” means the United States of America, its states, territories and possessions.
“WARN Act” means the Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act of 1988, as amended, or any similar state or local plant closing mass layoff statute, rule or regulation.
“Withholding Agent” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.11.
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