Form: F-1/A

Registration statement for securities of certain foreign private issuers

November 24, 2017

Exhibit 1.1

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

[●], 2017

The Benchmark Company, LLC

150 East 58th St, 17th Floor

New York, NY 10155    

    As Representative of the several Underwriters named on Schedule 1 attached hereto

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The undersigned, Acasti Pharma, Inc., a corporation governed by the laws of Quebec (the “Company”), hereby confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with The Benchmark Company, LLC (hereinafter the “Representative”) and with the other underwriters named on Schedule 1 hereto for which the Representative is acting as representative (the Representative and such other underwriters being collectively called the “Underwriters” or, individually, an “Underwriter”) as follows:

1.    Purchase and Sale of Shares.

(a)    Shares.

(i)    Nature and Purchase of Shares.

(A)    On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters an aggregate of [●] common shares, no par value (the “Common Shares”). The [●] Common Shares referred to in this Section 1(a) are hereinafter referred to as the “Firm Shares

(B)     The Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase from the Company the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule 1 attached hereto and made a part hereof at a purchase price of $[●] (the “Purchase Price”) per Firm Share (or 93% of the public offering price per Firm Share). The Firm Shares are to be offered initially to the public at the offering price set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus (as defined in Section 2(a)(i)(A) hereof).

(ii)    Share Payment and Delivery.

(A)    Delivery and payment for the Firm Shares shall be made no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the second (2nd) Business Day following the effective date (the “Effective Date”) of the Registration Statement (as defined in Section 2(a)(i)(A) below) (or the third (3rd) Business Day following the Effective Date if the Registration Statement is declared effective after 4:01 p.m., Eastern time) or at such earlier time as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, at the offices of Schiff Hardin LLP, 901 K Street NW, Suite 700, Washington DC 20001 (“Representative Counsel”), or at such other place (or by electronic transmission) as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company. The hour and date of delivery and payment for the Firm Shares is called the “Closing Date

(B)    Payment for the Firm Shares shall be made on the Closing Date by wire transfer in federal (same day) funds, payable to the order of the Company upon delivery of the certificates (in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters) representing the Firm Shares (or through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or via a DWAC transfer), for the account of the Underwriters. The Firm Shares shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denominations as the Representative may request in writing prior to the Closing Date. The Company shall not be obligated to sell or deliver the Firm Shares except upon tender of payment by the Representative for all of the Firm Shares or via delivery versus payment for the Firm Shares. The term “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions are authorized or obligated by law to close in New York, New York.


(iii)    Over-allotment Option.

(A)    Option Shares. For the purposes of covering any over-allotments in connection with the distribution and sale of the Firm Shares, the Company hereby grants to the Underwriters an option (the “Over-allotment Option”) to purchase, in the aggregate, up to [●] additional Common Shares (the “Option Shares”), representing fifteen percent (15%) of the Firm Shares sold in the offering, from the Company. The purchase price to be paid per Option Share shall be equal the Purchase Price. The Firm Shares and the Option Shares are collectively referred to as the “Public Securities.” The Public Securities shall be issued directly by the Company and shall have the rights and privileges described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus referred to below. The offering and sale of the Public Securities is herein referred to as the “Offering

(B)    Exercise of Option. The Over-allotment Option granted pursuant to Section 1(a)(iii)(A) hereof may be exercised by the Representative as to all (at any time) or any part (from time to time) for any number of the Option Shares within 30 days after the Effective Date. The Underwriters shall not be under any obligation to purchase any the Option Shares prior to the exercise of the Over-allotment Option. The Over-allotment Option granted hereby may be exercised by the giving of oral notice to the Company from the Representative, which must be confirmed in writing by overnight mail or email or facsimile or other electronic transmission setting forth the number of the Option Shares to be purchased and the date and time for delivery of and payment for the Option Shares (the “Option Closing Date”), which shall not be later than five (5) full Business Days after the date of the notice or such other time as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Representative, at the offices of Representative’s Counsel, or at such other place (including remotely by facsimile or other electronic transmission) as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Representative. If such delivery and payment for the Option Shares does not occur on the Closing Date, the Option Closing Date will be as set forth in the notice. Upon exercise of the Over-allotment Option with respect to all or any portion of the Option Shares subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, (i) the Company shall become obligated to sell to the Underwriters the number of the Option Shares specified in such notice and (ii) each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, shall purchase that portion of the total number of the Option Shares then being purchased as set forth in Schedule 1 opposite the name of such Underwriter.

(C)    Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Option Shares shall be made on the Option Closing Date by wire transfer in Federal (same day) funds, payable to the order of the Company upon delivery to the Underwriters of certificates (in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters) representing the Option Shares (or through the facilities of DTC or DWAC transfer) for the account of the Underwriters. The Option Shares shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denominations as the Representative may request in writing prior to the Option Closing Date. The Company shall not be obligated to sell or deliver the Option Shares except upon tender of payment by the Representative for applicable Option Shares.

(iv)    Representative’s Warrant.

(A)    Warrant Amount; Term. The Company hereby agrees to issue to the Representative (and/or its designees) on the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as applicable, a five-year warrant (the “Representative’s Warrant”) for the purchase of a number of the Common Shares equal to 5.0% of the number of the Firm Shares or Option Shares issued in the Offering, pursuant to a warrant agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Representative’s Warrant Agreement”), at an initial exercise price of $[●], which is equal to 125% of the public offering price per Share. The Representative’s Warrant and the Common Shares issuable upon exercise of the Representative’s Warrant are hereinafter referred to together as the “Representative’s Securities.” The Representative understands and agrees that there are significant restrictions pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110 against transferring the Representative’s Warrant and the underlying securities during the one hundred eighty (180) days after the Effective Date and by its acceptance thereof shall agree that it will not sell, transfer, assign, pledge or hypothecate the Representative’s Warrant, or any portion thereof, or be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the effective economic disposition of such securities for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days following the Effective Date to anyone other than (i) an Underwriter or a selected dealer in connection with the Offering, or (ii) a bona fide officer or partner of the Representative or of any such Underwriter or selected dealer; or as otherwise expressly permitted by Rule 5110(g), and only if any such transferee agrees to the foregoing lock-up restrictions.

(B)    Delivery. Delivery of the Representative’s Warrant Agreement shall be made on the Closing Date and shall be issued in the name or names and in such authorized denominations as the Representative may request.

 

2


2.    Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriters as of the Applicable Time (as defined below) and as of the Closing Date and as of the Option Closing Date, as follows (unless otherwise indicated, all references to the Company in this Section 2 shall refer to the Company, its subsidiaries and its variable interest entities):

(a)    Filing of Registration Statement.

(i)    Pursuant to the Securities Act.

(A)    The Company has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement, and an amendment or amendments thereto, on Form F-1 (File No. 333-220755), including any related prospectus or prospectuses, for the registration of the Public Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), which registration statement and amendment or amendments have been prepared by the Company in conformity in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Securities Act (the “Securities Act Regulations”) and will contain all material statements that are required to be stated therein in accordance with the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations. Except as the context may otherwise require, such registration statement, as amended, on file with the Commission at the time the registration statement became effective (including the Preliminary Prospectus included in the registration statement, financial statements, schedules, exhibits and all other documents filed as a part thereof or incorporated therein by reference and all information deemed to be a part thereof as of the Effective Date pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 430A of the Securities Act Regulations (the “Rule 430A Information”)), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement.” If the Company files any registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act Regulations, then after such filing, the term “Registration Statement” shall include such registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b). The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission on the date hereof.

(B)    Each prospectus used prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and each prospectus that omitted the Rule 430A Information that was used after such effectiveness and prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, is herein called a “Preliminary Prospectus.” The Preliminary Prospectus that was included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to the Applicable Time is hereinafter called the “Pricing Prospectus.” The final prospectus in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in the Offering is hereinafter called the “Prospectus.” Any reference to the “most recent Preliminary Prospectus” shall be deemed to refer to the latest Preliminary Prospectus included in the Registration Statement.

(C)    “Applicable Time” means 4:30 p.m., Eastern time, on the date of this Agreement.

(D)    “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), including without limitation any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act Regulations) relating to the Public Securities that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Public Securities or of the Offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

(E)    “Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433 (the “Bona Fide Electronic Road Show”), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule 2 hereto.

(F)    “Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.

(G)    “Pricing Disclosure Package” means any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, and the Pricing Prospectus, all considered together.                

(ii)    Pursuant to the Exchange Act. The Company has previously filed with the Commission a Form 8-A providing for the registration pursuant to Section 12(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”),

 

3


of the Common Shares. The Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Shares under the Exchange Act, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration.

(b)    Stock Exchange Listing. The Common Shares are listed on The NASDAQ Capital Market and the TSX Venture Exchange (collectively, the “Exchanges”), and the Common Shares to be issued in this offering have been approved for listing on the Exchanges, subject to official notice of issuance, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, delisting the Common Shares from the Exchanges, nor has the Company received any notification that either of the Exchanges is contemplating terminating such listing.

(c)    Foreign Private Issuer. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act).

(d)    No Stop Orders, etc. Neither the Commission nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any domestic, foreign or state regulatory authority has issued any order preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or has instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened to institute, any proceedings with respect to such an order. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.

(e)    Disclosures in Registration Statement.

(i)    Compliance with Securities Act and 10b-5 Representation.

(A)    Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations. Each Preliminary Prospectus, including the prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment or supplement thereto, and the Prospectus, at the time each was filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations. Each Preliminary Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this Offering and the Prospectus was or will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(B)    Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at its effective time, as of the Applicable Time, at the Closing Date or at any Option Closing Date, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

(C)    The Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, at the Closing Date or at any Option Closing Date, did not, does not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and each Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus does not conflict in any material respect with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, and each such Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together with the Pricing Prospectus as of the Applicable Time, did not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to statements made or statements omitted in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company with respect to the Underwriters by the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto. The parties acknowledge and agree that such information provided by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists solely of the disclosure contained in the “Underwriting” section of the Prospectus related to the compensation of the Underwriters and the stabilization activities of the Underwriters (the “Underwriters’ Information”); and

(D)     Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto (including any prospectus wrapper), as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), at the Closing Date or at any Option Closing Date, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to the Underwriters’ Information.

 

4


(ii)    Disclosure of Agreements. The agreements and documents described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained therein and there are no agreements or other documents required by the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or to be filed with the Commission as exhibits to the Registration Statement, that have not been so described or filed. Each agreement or other instrument (however characterized or described) to which the Company is a party or by which it is or may be bound or affected and (i) that is referred to in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or (ii) is material to the Company’s business, has been duly authorized and validly executed by the Company, is in full force and effect in all material respects and is enforceable against the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, the other parties thereto, in accordance with its terms, except (x) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, (y) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws, and (z) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought. None of such agreements or instruments has been assigned by the Company, and neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party is in material default thereunder and, to the Company’s knowledge, no event has occurred that, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a material default thereunder, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. To the Company’s knowledge, performance by the Company of the material provisions of such agreements or instruments will not result in a violation of any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any governmental agency or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its assets or business (each, a “Governmental Entity”), including, without limitation, those relating to environmental laws and regulations, that would reasonably be expected to constitute a Material Adverse Change.

(iii)    Prior Securities Transactions. No securities of the Company have been sold by the Company or by or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, any person or persons controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Company, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Preliminary Prospectus, other than Common Shares issued in satisfaction of interest payable on the Company’s outstanding unsecured convertible debentures.

(iv)    Regulations. The disclosures in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus concerning the effects of federal, state, local and all foreign laws, rules and regulations relating to the Company’s business as currently contemplated are correct in all material respects and no other such regulations are required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus which are not so disclosed.

(f)    Changes after Dates in Registration Statement.

(i)    No Material Adverse Change. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus: (i) there has been no material adverse change, or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings/losses, business, operations or prospects, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company (any such change is called a “Material Adverse Change”), (ii) the Company has not incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct or contingent nor entered into any material transaction or agreement, and (iii) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of share capital or repurchase or redemption by the Company of any class of share capital (other than Common Shares issued in satisfaction of interest payable on the Company’s outstanding unsecured convertible debentures). Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company has not sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts, agreements or customer relationships referred to or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(ii)    Recent Securities Transactions, etc. Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and except as may otherwise be indicated or contemplated herein or disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has

 

5


not: (i) issued any securities (other than (i) grants under any share compensation plan, (ii) common shares issued upon exercise or conversion of option, warrants or convertible securities described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (iii) Common Shares issued in satisfaction of interest payable on the Company’s outstanding unsecured convertible debentures) or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, for borrowed money; or (ii) declared or paid any dividend or made any other distribution on or in respect to its capital shares.

(g)    Independent Accountants. To the knowledge of the Company, KPMG LLP (the “Auditor”), whose report is filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The Auditor has not, during the periods covered by the financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, provided to the Company any non-audit services, as such term is used in Section 10A(g) of the Exchange Act, other than tax services.

(h)    Financial Statements, etc. The financial statements, including the notes thereto and supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, fairly present in all material respects the financial position and the results of operations of the Company at the dates and for the periods to which they apply; and such Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IFRS”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto; and the supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly in all material respects the information required to be stated therein. Except as included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the Securities Act or the Securities Act Regulations. The pro forma and pro forma as adjusted financial information and the related notes, if any, included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus have been properly compiled and prepared in all material respects in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and present fairly in all material respects the information shown therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus regarding “non-IFRS financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission, including with respect to foreign private issuers), if any, comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable. Each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus discloses all material off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations), and other relationships of the Company with unconsolidated entities or other persons that may have a material current or future effect on the Company’s financial condition, changes in financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources, or significant components of revenues or expenses. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (a) the Company has not incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, or entered into any material transactions other than in the ordinary course of business, (b) the Company has not declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its capital stock, (c) there has not been any change in the capital stock of the Company (other than (i) grants under any share compensation plan, (ii) Common Shares issued upon exercise or conversion of option, warrants or convertible securities described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and (iii) Common Shares issued in satisfaction of interest payable on the Company’s outstanding unsecured convertible debentures), and (d) there has not been any Material Adverse Change in the Company’s long-term or short-term debt.

(i)     Authorized Capital; Options, etc. The Company had, at the date or dates indicated in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the duly authorized, issued and outstanding capitalization as set forth therein. Based on the assumptions stated in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company will have on the Closing Date the adjusted share capitalization set forth therein. Except as set forth in, or contemplated by, the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, on the Effective Date, as of the Applicable Time, on the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, there will be no share options, warrants, or other rights to purchase or otherwise acquire any authorized, but unissued Common Shares or any security convertible or exercisable into Common Shares, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell Common Shares or any such options, warrants, rights or convertible securities.

 

6


(j)    Valid Issuance of Securities, etc.

(i)     Outstanding Securities. All issued and outstanding securities of the Company issued prior to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof have no rights of rescission with respect thereto, and are not subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; and except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, none of such securities were issued in violation of the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company. The authorized Common Shares, Company preferred shares and other securities of the Company to be outstanding upon consummation of the Offering conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The offers and sales of the outstanding Common Shares were at all relevant times either registered under the Securities Act and the applicable U.S. state securities or “blue sky” laws or, based in part on the representations and warranties of the purchasers of such shares, exempt from such registration requirements.

(ii)    Securities Sold Pursuant to this Agreement. The Public Securities and Representative’s Securities have been duly authorized for issuance and sale and, when issued and paid for, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof are not and will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; the Public Securities and Representative’s Securities are not and will not be subject to the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company; and all corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of the Public Securities and Representative’s Securities has been duly and validly taken; the Common Shares issuable upon exercise of the Representative’s Warrants have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and when paid for and issued in accordance with such Representative’s Warrants or exercised on a cashless basis as set forth in such Representative’s Warrants, as the case may be, such Common Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; the Public Securities and Representative’s Securities conform in all material respects to all statements with respect thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(k)    Registration Rights of Third Parties. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no holders of any securities of the Company or any rights exercisable for or convertible or exchangeable into securities of the Company have the right to require the Company to register any such securities of the Company under the Securities Act or to include any such securities in a registration statement to be filed by the Company (except for any such rights that have been waived).

(l)    Validity and Binding Effect of Agreements. This Agreement and the Representative’s Warrant Agreement have been duly and validly authorized by the Company, and, when executed and delivered, will constitute, the valid and binding agreements of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except: (i) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally; (ii) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws; and (iii) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.

(m)    Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments. The Company is not in violation of its articles or by-laws, and is not in default (nor would it be, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, in default) under any indenture, mortgage, loan or credit agreement, note, guarantee, contract, franchise, lease or other instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound (including, without limitation, any credit agreement, guarantee, indenture, pledge agreement, security agreement or other instrument or agreement evidencing, guaranteeing, securing or relating to indebtedness of the Company, if any), or to which any of the property or assets of the Company is subject (each, an “Existing Instrument”), except for such defaults as would not be reasonably expected to, individually or in the aggregate, result in any change or effect in the business, operations, results of operations, assets, capitalization, financial condition, rights or liabilities of the Company which is materially adverse to the business, operations or financial condition of the Company (a “Material Adverse Effect”). The Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Representative’s Warrant Agreement, the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and by the Prospectus and the issuance and sale of the Common Shares (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and will not result in any violation of the provisions of the constating documents or the by-laws of the Company, (ii) will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to, or require the consent of any other party to, any Existing Instrument except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event as would not be reasonably expected to, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect and (iii) will not result in any material violation of

 

7


any law, administrative regulation or administrative or court decree applicable to the Company. As used herein, a “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition which gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company.

(n)    Change in Legislation. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is not aware of any legislation, or proposed legislation, which it reasonably expects will materially and adversely affect the business, affairs, operations, assets, liabilities (contingent or otherwise) or prospects of the Company.

(o)    FDA, Health Canada and Other Regulatory Authorities.

(i)    Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company holds all licenses, certificates, approvals and permits from all provincial, federal, state, United States, foreign and other regulatory authorities, including but not limited to the United States Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”), Health Canada (“HC”), the European Medicines Agency (the “EMA”) and any foreign regulatory authorities performing functions similar to those performed by the FDA, HC and the EMA, that are material to the conduct of the business of the Company as such business is now conducted as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of which are valid and in full force and effect and there is no proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened which may cause any such license, certificate, approval or permit to be withdrawn, cancelled, suspended or not renewed.

(ii)    Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the completed studies, tests, preclinical studies and clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of the Company that are described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus were not conducted, in all material respects, in accordance with experimental protocols, procedures and controls pursuant to, where applicable, accepted professional and scientific standards for products or product candidates comparable to those being developed by the Company; or that the drug substances used in the clinical trials have not been manufactured, in all material respects, under “current good manufacturing practices”, when required, in the United States, Canada and other jurisdictions in which such clinical trials have been and are being conducted.

(iii)    No filing or submission to the FDA, HC, the EMA or any other regulatory body, that was or is intended to be the basis for any approval of the Company’s products or product candidates, to the knowledge of the Company, contains any material omission or material false information.

(iv)    The Company is not in violation in any material respect, of any material law, order, rule, regulation, writ, injunction or decree of any court or governmental agency or body, applicable to the investigation of new drugs in humans and animals, including, but not limited to, those promulgated by the FDA, HC or the EMA.

(p)    Clinical Trials. The descriptions in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus of the results of the clinical trials referred to therein are consistent in all material respects with such results and no other studies or other clinical trials whose results are known to the Company are materially inconsistent with or otherwise materially call into question the results described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. To the Company’s knowledge, the studies, tests and preclinical and clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of the Company were and, if still pending, are, in all material respects, being conducted in accordance with experimental protocols, procedures and controls pursuant to accepted professional scientific standards and all applicable laws and authorizations.

(q)    Permits; Consents.

(i)    All Necessary Permits, etc. The Company possesses such valid and current certificates, authorizations or permits issued by the appropriate federal, provincial, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct its business, as now conducted, except where the failure to possess such certificates, authorizations or permits would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, and the Company has not received, nor has any reason to believe that it will receive, any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of, or non-compliance with, any such certificate, authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

8


(ii)    Transactions Contemplated Herein. The Company has all corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to carry out the provisions and conditions hereof, and all consents, authorizations, approvals and orders required in connection therewith have been obtained. No consent, authorization or order of, and no filing with, any court, government agency or other body is required for the valid issuance, sale and delivery of the Public Securities and the consummation of the transactions and agreements contemplated by this Agreement, and the Representative’s Warrant and as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except with respect to applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws and the rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).

(r)    D&O Questionnaires. To the Company’s knowledge, all information contained in the questionnaires (the “Questionnaires”) completed by each of the Company’s directors, officers and 10% shareholders immediately prior to the Offering (the “Insiders”) as supplemented by all information concerning the Company’s directors, officers and principal shareholders as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, provided to the Underwriters, is true and correct in all material respects and the Company has not become aware of any information which would cause the information disclosed in the Questionnaires to become materially inaccurate and incorrect.

(s)    No Material Actions or Proceedings. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental actions, suits, claims, investigations or proceedings pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened or contemplated (i) against or affecting the Company, (ii) which have as the subject thereof any officer or director (in his or her capacity as such) of, or property owned or leased by, the Company or (iii) relating to environmental or discrimination matters, where in any such case (A) there is a reasonable expectation that such action, suit or proceeding will be determined adversely to the Company or such officer or director, (B) any such action, suit or proceeding, if so determined adversely, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect or materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and (C) any such action, suit or proceeding is or would be material in the context of the sale of the Common Shares. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no material labor dispute with the employees or independent contractors of the Company exists or, to the Company’s knowledge, is threatened or imminent.

(t)    Liabilities. The Company has no liabilities, obligations, indebtedness or commitments, whether accrued, absolute, contingent or otherwise, which are not disclosed or referred to in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, other than liabilities, obligations, or indebtedness or commitments (i) incurred in the normal course of business, or (ii) which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(u)    Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company. The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a Company in good standing under the Business Corporations Act (Québec) and has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Company is duly qualified as a corporation, foreign corporation, or extra-provincial corporation, as applicable, to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(v)    Insurance. The Company maintains insurance covering the properties, operations, personnel and business of the Company in such amounts and with such deductibles and covering such risks as are reasonably adequate and customary for its business. The Company has no knowledge that it will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied in the past two years.

 

9


(w)    Transactions Affecting Disclosure to FINRA.

(i)    Finder’s Fees. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no claims, payments, arrangements, agreements or understandings relating to the payment of a finder’s, consulting or origination fee by the Company or any Insider with respect to the sale of the Public Securities hereunder or any other arrangements, agreements or understandings of the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its shareholders that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation, as determined by FINRA.

(ii)    Payments Within 180 Days. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not made any direct or indirect payments (in cash, securities or otherwise) to: (i) any person, as a finder’s fee, consulting fee or otherwise, in consideration of such person raising capital for the Company or introducing to the Company persons who raised or provided capital to the Company; (ii) any FINRA member; or (iii) any person or entity that has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any FINRA member, within the 180-day period immediately preceding the original filing of the Registration Statement, other than the payment to the Underwriters as provided hereunder in connection with the Offering.

(iii)    Use of Proceeds. None of the net proceeds of the Offering will be paid by the Company to any participating FINRA member or its affiliates, except as specifically authorized herein.

(iv)    FINRA Affiliation. There is no (i) officer or director of the Company, (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, beneficial owner of 5% or more of any class of the Company’s securities or (iii) to the Company’s knowledge, beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities which were acquired during the 180-day period immediately preceding the original filing of the Registration Statement that, in each case, is an affiliate or associated person of a FINRA member participating in the Offering (as determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of FINRA).

(v)    Information. To the Company’s knowledge, all information provided by the Company’s officers, directors or 5% shareholders in their FINRA Questionnaires to Representative Counsel specifically for use by Representative Counsel in connection with its Public Offering System filings (and related disclosure) with FINRA is true, correct and complete in all material respects.

(x)    Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company is aware of or has made any contribution or other payment or taken any action, directly or indirectly, that has resulted or would result in a violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (United States), as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), or the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act (Canada) (the “CFPOA”) including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any “foreign public official” (as such term is defined in the CFPOA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA and the CFPOA.

(y)    Compliance with OFAC. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any other person acting on behalf of the Company, is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”), and the Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the Offering hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.

(z)    Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company are, and have been conducted at all times, in compliance with all material applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970 (United States), as amended, the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (Canada), the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar applicable rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

10


(aa)    Officers’ Certificate. Any certificate signed by any duly authorized officer of the Company and delivered to the Representative or to Representative Counsel shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.

(bb)    Lock-Up Agreements. Schedule 3 hereto contains a complete and accurate list of the Company’s officers, directors and 10% or more shareholders (collectively, the “Lock-Up Parties”). The Company has caused each of the Lock-Up Parties to deliver to the Representative an executed Lock-Up Agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the “Lock-Up Agreement”), prior to the execution of this Agreement.

(cc)    Subsidiaries. The Company has no direct or indirect subsidiaries or variable interest entities and does not hold any equity interests in any other entity.

(dd)    Related Party Transactions. There are no material business relationships or related-party transactions within the meaning of IFRS required to be described in Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, which have not been described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(ee)    Board of Directors. The Board of Directors of the Company is comprised of the persons set forth under the heading of the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus captioned “Board of Directors and Management.” The qualifications of the persons serving as board members and the overall composition of the board comply with the Exchange Act, the Exchange Act Regulations, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules promulgated thereunder (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) applicable to the Company and the listing rules of the Exchanges. At least one member of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined under Regulation S-K and the listing rules of the Exchanges. In addition, at least a majority of the persons serving on the Board of Directors qualify as “independent,” as defined under the listing rules of the Exchanges.

(ff)    Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance.

(i)    Disclosure Controls. The Company has developed and currently maintains disclosure controls and procedures that will comply with Rule 13a-15 or 15d-15 under the Exchange Act Regulations applicable to it, and such controls and procedures are effective to ensure that all material information concerning the Company will be made known on a timely basis to the individuals responsible for the preparation of the Company’s Exchange Act filings and other public disclosure documents.

(ii)    Compliance. The Company is, or at the Applicable Time and on the Closing Date will be, in material compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act applicable to it, and has implemented or will implement such programs and taken reasonable steps to ensure the Company’s future compliance (not later than the relevant statutory and regulatory deadlines therefor) with all of the material provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

(gg)    Accounting Controls. The Company maintains systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined under Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act Regulations) that comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, its principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with IFRS, including, but not limited to, internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal controls. The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses, if any, in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which are known to the Company’s management and that have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’ ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud, if any, known to the Company’s management, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.

 

11


(hh)    No Investment Company Status. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the Offering and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will not be, required to register as an “investment company,” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(ii)    Directors and Officers. To the knowledge of the Company, none of the current directors or officers of the Company are now, or have ever been, subject to an order or ruling of any securities regulatory authority or stock exchange prohibiting such individual from acting as a director or officer of a public corporation or of a corporation listed on a particular stock exchange.

(jj)    Employment Standards, Human Rights Legislation. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding complaints against the Company before any government employment standards branch, tribunal or human rights tribunal, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, are there any threatened material complaints or any occurrence that may reasonably be expected to lead to a material complaint, in each case under any human rights legislation or employment standards legislation. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding decisions or settlements or pending settlements under any employment standards legislation that place any obligation upon the Company to do or to refrain from doing any act. The Company is not delinquent in any material respect in payments to any of its employees, consultants or independent contractors for any wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses or other direct compensation for any service performed for it or amounts required to be reimbursed to such employees, consultants or independent contractors, and all such amounts have been properly accrued in the books and records of the Company. The Company is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws related to employment, including those related to wages, hours and the payment and withholding of taxes and other sums as required by law and has not and is not engaged in any unfair labor practice.

(kk)    Proposed Acquisition. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no material agreements, contracts, arrangements or understandings (written or oral) with any persons relating to the acquisition or proposed acquisition by the Company of any material interest in any business (or part of a business) or corporation, nor are there any other specific contracts or agreements (written or oral) in respect of any such matters in contemplation.

(ll)    Intellectual Property Rights.

(i)    Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is the sole and exclusive owner of all right, title and interest in and to, or has a valid and enforceable right to use pursuant to a written license, all trademarks, trade names, service marks, patents, patent applications, other patent rights, copyrights, domain names, software, inventions, processes, databases, know how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) and other similar intellectual property rights, whether registered or unregistered and in any jurisdiction (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights”) reasonably necessary to conduct its businesses as now conducted or proposed to be conducted as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, free and clear of all liens and encumbrances.

(ii)    Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, to the knowledge of the Company, the Company’s business as now conducted or proposed to be conducted as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, does not infringe, conflict with or otherwise violate any Intellectual Property Rights of others, and the Company has not received, and has no reason to believe that it will receive, any notice of infringement or conflict with asserted Intellectual Property Rights of others, or any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property Rights invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company therein.

(iii)    To the knowledge of the Company, there is no infringement by third parties of any Intellectual Property Rights owned by the Company.

(iv)    Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim relating to Intellectual Property Rights owned by the Company.

(v)    Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is not a party to or bound by any options, licenses or agreements with respect to the Intellectual Property Rights of any other person or entity.

 

12


(vi)    All licenses for Intellectual Property Rights owned or used by the Company are valid, binding upon and enforceable by or against the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, against the parties thereto in accordance with their terms.

(vii)    None of the technology employed by the Company has been obtained or is being used by the Company in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its officers, directors or employees or otherwise in violation of the rights of any third party.

(viii)    Except as would not result in a Material Adverse Effect, all assignments from inventors to the Company have been obtained and filed with the appropriate patent offices for all of the Company’s patent applications.

(ix)    Except as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company does not have knowledge of any claims of third parties to any ownership interest or unregistered lien with respect to the Company’s or its licensors’ patents and patent applications.

(x)    Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company does not know of any facts which would form a basis for a finding of unenforceability or invalidity of any of the patents, trademarks or service marks of the Company.

(xi)    The Company does not know of any material defects of form in the preparation or filing of the patent applications of the Company.

(xii)    To the knowledge of the Company, the Company has complied with the U.S. Patents and Trademark Office duties of candor and disclosure for each patent and patent application of the Company.

(xiii)    Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company does not know of any fact with respect to the patent applications of the Company presently on file that (A) would preclude the issuance of patents with respect to such applications, (B) would lead it to conclude that such patents, when issued, would not be valid and enforceable in accordance with applicable regulations or (C) would result in a third party having any rights in any patents issuing from such patent applications.

(xiv)    The Company has taken all commercially reasonable steps to protect, maintain and safeguard each of its rights in all Intellectual Property Rights in each jurisdiction where the business of the Company is currently conducted, including to its knowledge, the execution of appropriate nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements.

(mm)    Title to Properties. The Company has good and marketable title to all property and other assets reflected as owned by it in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, in each case (except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus) free and clear of any security interests, mortgages, liens, encumbrances, equities, adverse claims and other defects except those that do not materially and adversely affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company. The real property, improvements, equipment and personal property held under lease by the Company are held under valid and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially interfere with the conduct of the business of the Company.

(nn)    Tax Law Compliance. The Company has filed all U.S. federal, Canadian federal and all other foreign, provincial, state, local or other income and franchise tax returns required to be filed by it or has properly requested extensions thereof, other than those tax returns where the failure to file would not result in a Material Adverse Effect, and has paid all taxes and any similar assessment, including interest and penalties applicable thereto, that are due and payable by it, other than those being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings, those as to which adequate reserves have been provided or those where failure to pay would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

13


(oo)    Employee Benefit Laws. The Company is not in violation of or has not received notice of any violation with respect to any federal or state law relating to discrimination in the hiring, promotion or pay of employees, nor any applicable federal or state wages and hours law, nor any state law precluding the denial of credit due to the neighborhood in which a property is situated, the violation of any of which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Change.

(pp)    Ineligible Issuer. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the Securities Act Regulations) of the Public Securities and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.

(qq)    Statistical and Market-Related Data. The statistical, demographic and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate in all material respects or represent the Company’s good faith estimates that are made on the basis of data derived from such sources.

(rr)    Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.

(ss)    Export and Import Laws. The Company, and, to the Company’s knowledge, each of its affiliates, and any director, officer, agent or employee of, or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company, has acted at all times in compliance with applicable Export and Import Laws (as defined below) and there are no claims, complaints, charges, investigations or proceedings pending or expected or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened between the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and any governmental authority under any Export or Import Laws. The term “Export and Import Laws” means the Arms Export Control Act, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended, the Export Administration Regulations, and all other laws and regulations of the United States government regulating the provision of services to non-U.S. parties or the export and import of articles or information from and to the United States of America, and all similar laws and regulations of any foreign government regulating the provision of services to parties not of the foreign country or the export and import of articles and information from and to the foreign country to parties not of the foreign country.

(tt)    Compliance with Environmental Laws.

(i)    Except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company is not in violation of any federal, provincial, state, local, municipal or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”);

 

14


(ii)    Except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company has all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and is in compliance with their requirements;

(iii)    there are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company; and

(iv)    to the knowledge of the Company, there are no events or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

(uu)    Integration. Neither the Company, nor any of its affiliates, nor any person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause the Offering to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of the Securities Act that would require the registration of any such securities under the Securities Act.

(vv)    Confidentiality and Non-Competition. To the Company’s knowledge, no director, officer, key employee or consultant of the Company is subject to any confidentiality, non-disclosure, non-competition agreement or non-solicitation agreement with any employer or prior employer that could reasonably be expected to materially affect his ability to be and act in his respective capacity of the Company or be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.

3.    Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees as follows:

(a)    Amendments to Registration Statement. The Company shall deliver to the Representative, prior to filing, any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus proposed to be filed after the Effective Date and not file any such amendment or supplement to which the Representative shall reasonably object in writing; provided however, that this Section 3(a) shall not be applicable with respect to any supplements to the Registration Statement filed solely for the purpose of supplementing the Registration Statement or Prospectus with a report filed with the Commission by the Company pursuant to the Exchange Act.

(b)    Federal Securities Laws.

(i)    Compliance. The Company shall comply with the requirements of Rule 430A of the Securities Act Regulations, and will notify the Representative promptly, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed; (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission; (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information; (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Public Securities and Representative’s Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatening, of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Securities Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the Offering of the Public Securities and Representative’s Securities. The Company shall effect all filings required under Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act Regulations, in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and shall take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order, prevention or suspension and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

 

15


(ii)    Continued Compliance. The Company shall comply with the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations, the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Public Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Public Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 172”), would be) required by the Securities Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Public Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (ii) amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser or (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act or the Securities Act Regulations, the Company will promptly (A) give the Representative notice of such event; (B) prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Representative with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (C) file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement; provided that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object. The Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. The Company has given the Representative notice of any filings made pursuant to the Exchange Act or the Exchange Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time. The Company shall give the Representative notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time until the later of the Closing Date and the exercise in full or expiration of the Over-allotment Option specified in Section 10 hereof and will furnish the Representative with copies of the related document(s) a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.

(iii)    Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representative, it shall not make any offer relating to the Public Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” or a portion thereof, required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the Representative shall be deemed to have consented to each Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus and any “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) that has been reviewed and approved in writing by the Representative. The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each such free writing prospectus consented to, or deemed consented to, by the Underwriters as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and that it has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 with respect thereto, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriters and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

(c)    Delivery to the Underwriters of Registration Statements. The Company has delivered or made available or shall deliver or make available to the Representative and counsel for the Representative, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Underwriters, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(d)    Delivery to the Underwriters of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered or made available or will deliver or make available to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each Preliminary Prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the Securities Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Public Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the Securities Act, such number of copies of the

 

16


Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(e)    Intentionally omitted.

(f)    Reports to the Representative; Transfer Agent.

(i)    Periodic Reports, etc. For a period of one (1) year after the date of this Agreement, the Company shall furnish or make available to the Representative copies of such financial statements and other periodic and special reports as the Company from time to time furnishes generally to holders of any class of its securities and also promptly furnish or make available to the Representative: (i) a copy of each periodic report the Company shall be required to file with the Commission under the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations; (ii) a copy of every press release and every news item and article with respect to the Company or its affairs which was released by the Company and filed or furnished on a Current Report on Form 8-K; (iii) a copy of each Current Report on Form 8-K prepared and filed by the Company; and (iv) five copies of each registration statement filed by the Company under the Securities Act. Documents filed with the Commission pursuant to its EDGAR system or otherwise filed with the Commission or made publicly available shall be deemed to have been delivered to the Representative pursuant to this Section 3(f)(i).

(ii)    Transfer Agent. The Company shall maintain a transfer agent and registrar for the Common Shares.

(g)    Payment of Expenses.

(i)    General Expenses Related to the Offering. The Company hereby agrees to pay on each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, to the extent not paid at the Closing Date, all expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement, including, but not limited to: (a) all documented filing fees and communication expenses relating to the registration of the Public Securities to be sold in the Offering with the Commission; (b) all actual Public Offering Filing System filing fees associated with the review of the Offering by FINRA; (c) all fees and expenses relating to the listing of the Common Shares on the Exchanges; (d) all fees, expenses and disbursements, if any, relating to the registration or qualification of the Public Securities under the “blue sky” securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably designate (including, without limitation, all filing and registration fees, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of “blue sky” counsel); (e) all actual fees, expenses and disbursements relating to the registration, qualification or exemption of the Public Securities under the securities laws of such foreign jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably designate; (f) share transfer and/or stamp taxes, if any, payable upon the transfer of securities from the Company to the Underwriters; and (g) documented “road show” expenses, due diligence fees and expenses of the Underwriter (including, without limitation, domestic and foreign legal counsel, background checks, travel expenses and other diligence expenses) not to exceed a total of $125,000 (less amounts previously advanced, provided that any portion of the advance not utilized shall be returned). The Representative may deduct from the net proceeds of the Offering payable to the Company on the Closing Date, or any Option Closing Date, if any, the expenses set forth herein (as limited by this Section 3(h)(i)) to be paid by the Company to the Underwriters, provided, however, that in the event that the Offering is terminated, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8(c) hereof.

(h)    Application of Net Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the Offering received by it in a manner consistent with the application thereof described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(i)    Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the Exchange Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriters the benefits contemplated by, Rule 158(a) under Section 11(a) of the Securities Act.

(j)    Stabilization. Neither the Company nor, to its knowledge, any of its employees, directors or shareholders (without the consent of the Representative) has taken or shall take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under Regulation M of the Exchange Act, or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Public Securities.

 

17


(k)    FINRA. For a period of 90 days from the later of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, the Company shall advise the Representative (who shall make an appropriate filing with FINRA) if it is or becomes aware that (i) any officer or director of the Company, (ii) any beneficial owner of 5% or more of any class of the Company’s securities or (iii) any beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities which were acquired during the 180 days immediately preceding the original filing of the Registration Statement is or becomes an affiliate or associated person of a FINRA member participating in the Offering (as determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of FINRA).

(l)    No Fiduciary Duties. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters’ responsibility to the Company is solely contractual in nature and that none of the Underwriters or their affiliates or any selling agent shall be deemed to be acting in a fiduciary capacity, or otherwise owes any fiduciary duty to the Company or any of its affiliates in connection with the Offering and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

(m)    Company Lock-Up Agreements. The Company, on behalf of itself and any successor entity, agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representative, it will not, for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days after the date of this Agreement (the “Lock-Up Period”), (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company; (ii) file or cause to be filed any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company (other than pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-8 for employee benefit plans); or (iii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of capital stock of the Company, whether any such transaction described in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above is to be settled by delivery of shares of capital stock of the Company or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The restrictions contained in this section shall not apply to (i) the Public Securities and the Representative’s Securities to be sold hereunder; (ii) the issuance by the Company of Common Shares upon the exercise of an outstanding option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof and disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Disclosure Package, (iii) the grant by the Company of options or other share-based awards, or the issuance of shares of the Company under any equity compensation plan of the Company disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus, or (iv) the issuance of securities in connection with mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, licensing arrangements or any other similar non-capital raising transactions.

(n)    Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, if necessary, to qualify the Public Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representative may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required to complete the distribution of the Public Securities; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.

(o)    Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Public Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the Securities Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act and Exchange Act Regulations. Additionally, the Company shall report the use of proceeds from the issuance of the Public Securities as may be required under Rule 463 under the Securities Act Regulations.

4.    Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Public Securities, as provided herein, shall be subject to (i) the continuing accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company as of the date hereof and as of each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any; (ii) the accuracy of the statements of officers of the Company made pursuant to the provisions hereof; (iii) the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder; and (iv) the following conditions:

(a)    Regulatory Matters.

(i)    Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Rule 430A Information. The Registration Statement has become effective not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the date of this Agreement or such later date and time as shall be consented to in

 

18


writing by the Representative, and, at each of the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto shall have been issued under the Securities Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall have been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated by the Commission. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information. The Prospectus containing the Rule 430A Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time frame required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed with, and declared effective by, the Commission in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A.

(ii)    FINRA Clearance. On or before the date of this Agreement, the Representative shall have received clearance from FINRA as to the amount of compensation allowable or payable to the Underwriters as described in the Registration Statement.

(iii)    Exchange Stock Market Clearance. On the Closing Date, the Firm Shares shall have been approved for listing on the Exchange, subject only to official notice of issuance. On each Option Closing Date (if any), the Option Shares shall have been approved for listing on the Exchanges, subject only to official notice of issuance.

(b)    Company Counsel Matters.

(i)    Closing Date Opinion of U.S. and Canadian Counsel. On the Closing Date and on each Option Closing Date (if any), the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, counsel to the Company, dated the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as applicable, and addressed to the Representative, substantially in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative.

(ii)    Closing Date Opinion of [        _] Counsel for the Company. On the Closing Date and on each Option Closing Date (if any), the Representative shall have received the opinion of [        ],[        ] counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as applicable, addressed to the Representative, substantially in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative.

(c)    Comfort Letters.

(i)    Comfort Letter. At the time this Agreement is executed the Representative shall have received a cold comfort letter from KPMG LLP containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ comfort letters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, addressed to the Representative and in form and substance satisfactory in all respects to the Representative and to the Auditor, dated as of the date of this Agreement.

(ii)    Bring-down Comfort Letter. At the Closing Date and on each Option Closing Date (if any), the Representative shall have received from KPMG LLP letter, dated as of the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as applicable, to the effect that such Auditor reaffirms the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to Section 4(c)(i), except that with respect to the initial comfort letter the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three (3) business days prior to the Closing Date.

(d)     Officers’ Certificates.

(i)    Officers’ Certificate. The Company shall have furnished to the Representative a certificate, dated the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as applicable, of its President and Chief Executive Officer, and its Chief Financial Officer stating on behalf of the Company and not in an individual capacity that (i) such officers have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and, in their opinion, the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as applicable, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as of its date and as of the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as applicable,

 

19


the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto, as of the respective date thereof and as of the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as applicable, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, (ii) since the effective date of the Registration Statement, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (iii) to their knowledge after reasonable investigation, as of the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as applicable, the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct in all material respects (except for those representations and warranties qualified as to materiality, which shall be true and correct in all respects and except for those representations and warranties which refer to facts existing at a specific date, which shall be true and correct as of such date) and the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date (if such date is other than the Closing Date), and (iv) there has not been, subsequent to the date of the most recent audited financial statements included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, any Material Adverse Change in the financial position or results of operations of the Company, or any change or development that, singularly or in the aggregate, would involve a Material Adverse Change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, assets or prospects of the Company, except as set forth in the Prospectus.

(ii)    Secretary’s Certificate. At each of the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Company signed by the Secretary of the Company, dated the Closing Date and Option Closing Date (if such date is other than the Closing Date), certifying: (i) that each of the articles and bylaws are true and complete, have not been modified and are in full force and effect; (ii) that the resolutions of the Company’s Board of Directors relating to the Offering are in full force and effect and have not been modified; (iii) the good standing of the Company; and (iv) as to the incumbency of the officers of the Company. The documents referred to in such certificate shall be attached to such certificate.

(e)    No Material Changes. Prior to and on each of the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date: (i) there shall have been no Material Adverse Change or development involving a prospective Material Adverse Change in the condition or the business activities, financial or otherwise, of the Company or any subsidiary or variable interest entity of the Company from the latest dates as of which such condition is set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; (ii) no action, suit or proceeding, at law or in equity, shall have been pending or threatened against the Company or any Insider before or by any court or federal or state commission, board or other administrative agency wherein an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; (iii) no stop order shall have been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings therefor shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and (iv) the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto shall contain all material statements which are required to be stated therein in accordance with the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and shall conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations, and neither the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package nor the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto shall contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(f)    Delivery of Agreements.

(i)    Lock-Up Agreements. On or before the date of this Agreement, the Company shall have delivered to the Representative executed copies of the Lock-Up Agreements from each of the persons listed in Schedule 3 hereto.

(ii)    Representative’s Warrant Agreement. On the Closing Date, the Company shall have delivered to the Representative executed copies of the Representative’s Warrant Agreement.

(g)     Additional Documents. At the Closing Date, Representative Counsel shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may require for the purpose of enabling Representative Counsel to deliver an opinion to the Underwriters, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Public Securities and the Representative’s Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and Representative Counsel.

 

20


5.    Indemnification.

(a)    Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates and each person controlling such Underwriter (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act), and the directors, officers, agents and employees of each Underwriter, its affiliates and each such controlling person (each Underwriter, and each such entity or person hereafter is referred to as an “Indemnified Person”) from and against any losses, claims, damages, judgments, assessments, costs and other liabilities (collectively, the “Liabilities”), and shall reimburse each Indemnified Person for all fees and expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Indemnified Persons, except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement) (collectively, the “Expenses”) and agrees to advance payment of such Expenses as they are incurred by an Indemnified Person in investigating, preparing, pursuing or defending any actions, whether or not any Indemnified Person is a party thereto, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in (i) the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as from time to time each may be amended and supplemented); (ii) any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the Offering, including any “road show” or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically); or (iii) any application or other document or written communication (in this Section , collectively called “application”) executed by the Company or based upon written information furnished by the Company in any jurisdiction in order to qualify the Public Securities and Representative’s Securities under the securities laws thereof or filed with the Commission, any state securities commission or agency, the Exchange or any other national securities exchange; or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, unless such statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, the Underwriters’ Information. The Company also agrees to reimburse each Indemnified Person for all Expenses as they are incurred in connection with such Indemnified Person’s enforcement of his or its rights under this Agreement.

(b)    Procedure. Upon receipt by an Indemnified Person of actual notice of an action against such Indemnified Person with respect to which indemnity may reasonably be expected to be sought under this Agreement, such Indemnified Person shall promptly notify the Company in writing; provided that failure by any Indemnified Person so to notify the Company shall not relieve the Company from any obligation or liability which the Company may have on account of this Section 5 or otherwise to such Indemnified Person, except to the extent the Company is materially prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure. The Company shall have the right to assume the defense of any such action (including the employment of counsel designated by the Company and reasonably satisfactory to the Representative). Any Indemnified Person shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless: (i) the Company has failed promptly to assume the defense and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Representative for the benefit of the Underwriters and the other Indemnified Persons or (ii) such Indemnified Person shall have been advised that in the opinion of counsel that there is an actual or potential conflict of interest that prevents (or makes it imprudent for) the counsel engaged by the Company for the purpose of representing the Indemnified Person, to represent both such Indemnified Person and any other person represented or proposed to be represented by such counsel. The Company shall not be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate counsel (together with local counsel), representing all Indemnified Persons who are parties to such action), which counsel (together with any local counsel) for the Indemnified Persons shall be selected by the Representative. The Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any action effected without its written consent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld). In addition, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Underwriters, settle, compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in or otherwise seek to terminate any pending or threatened action in respect of which advancement, reimbursement, indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not such Indemnified Person is a party thereto) unless such settlement, compromise, consent or termination (i) includes an unconditional release of each Indemnified Person, from all Liabilities arising out of such action for which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person. The advancement, reimbursement, indemnification and contribution obligations of the Company required hereby shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as every Liability and Expense is incurred and is due and payable, and in such amounts as fully satisfy each and every Liability and Expense as it is incurred (and in no event later than 30 days following the date of any invoice therefore).

(c)    Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and persons who control the Company within

 

21


the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any and all Liabilities, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or in any application, in reliance upon, and in strict conformity with, the Underwriters’ Information. In case any action shall be brought against the Company or any other person so indemnified based on any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or in any application, and in respect of which indemnity may be sought against any Underwriter, such Underwriter shall have the rights and duties given to the Company, and the Company and each other person so indemnified shall have the rights and duties given to the several Underwriters by the provisions of Section 5(b). The Company agrees promptly to notify the Representative of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against the Company or any of its officers, directors or any person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, in connection with the issuance and sale of the Public Securities or in connection with the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus; provided that failure by the Company so to notify the Representative shall not relieve any Underwriter from any obligation or liability which such Underwriter may have on account of this Section 5 or otherwise to the Company, except to the extent such Underwriter is materially prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure.

(d)    Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section 5 shall for any reason be unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 5(a) or 5(c) in respect of any Liabilities and Expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such Liabilities and Expenses, (i) in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and each of the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the Offering, or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the matters as to which such Liabilities or Expenses relate, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, with respect to such Offering shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total proceeds from the Offering purchased under this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discount and commissions actually received by the Underwriters in connection with the Offering, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement, omission, act or failure to act; provided that the parties hereto agree that the written information furnished to the Company through the Representative by or on behalf of any Underwriter for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, consists solely of the Underwriters’ Information. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this subsection (d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d). Notwithstanding the above, no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act shall be entitled to contribution from a party who was not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation.

(e)    Limitation. The Company also agrees that no Indemnified Person shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract or tort or otherwise) to the Company for or in connection with advice or services rendered or to be rendered by any Indemnified Person pursuant to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated thereby or any Indemnified Person’s actions or inactions in connection with any such advice, services or transactions, except to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction has made a finding that Liabilities (and related Expenses) of the Company have resulted primarily from such Indemnified Person’s gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with any such advice, actions, inactions or services.

(f)    Survival. The advancement, reimbursement, indemnity and contribution obligations set forth in this Section 5 shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any termination of, or the completion of any Indemnified Person’s services under or in connection with, this Agreement.

 

22


6.    Default by an Underwriter.

(a)    Default Not Exceeding 10% of Public Securities. If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall default in its or their obligations to purchase the Firm Shares, and if the number of the Firm Shares with respect to which such default relates does not exceed in the aggregate 10% of the number of Firm Shares that all Underwriters have agreed to purchase hereunder, then such Firm Shares to which the default relates shall be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder.

(b)    Default Exceeding 10% of Public Securities. In the event that the default addressed in Section 6(a) relates to more than 10% of the Firm Shares, the Representative may in its discretion arrange for itself or for another party or parties to purchase such Firm Shares to which such default relates on the terms contained herein. If, within one (1) Business Day after such default relating to more than 10% of the Firm Shares, the Representative does not arrange for the purchase of such Firm Shares, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of one (1) Business Day within which to procure another party or parties satisfactory to the Representative to purchase said Firm Shares on such terms. In the event that neither the Representative nor the Company arrange for the purchase of the Firm Shares to which a default relates as provided in this Section 6, this Agreement will automatically be terminated by the Representative or the Company without liability on the part of the Company (except as provided in Sections 3(g) and 5 hereof) or the several Underwriters (except as provided in Section 5 hereof); and provided, further, that nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the other Underwriters and to the Company for damages occasioned by its default hereunder.

(c)    Postponement of Closing Date. In the event that the Firm Shares to which the default relates are to be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters, or are to be purchased by another party or parties as aforesaid, the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for a reasonable period, but not in any event exceeding five (5) Business Days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents and arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendment to the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriter may thereby be made necessary. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any party substituted under this Section 6 with like effect as if it had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Securities.

7.    Additional Covenants.

(a)    Prohibition on Press Releases and Public Announcements. The Company shall not issue press releases or engage in any other publicity, without the Representative’s prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld), for a period ending at 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the first (1st) Business Day following the thirtieth (30th) day after the Closing Date, other than normal and customary releases issued in the ordinary course of the Company’s business.

(b)    Intentionally omitted.

8.    Effective Date of this Agreement and Termination Thereof.

(a)    Effective Date. This Agreement shall become effective when both the Company and the Representative have executed the same and delivered counterparts of such signatures to the other party.

(b)    Termination. The Representative shall have the right to terminate this Agreement at any time prior to any Closing Date, (i) if any domestic or international event or act or occurrence has materially disrupted, or in Representative’s opinion will in the immediate future materially disrupt, general securities markets in the United States; or (ii) if trading on the New York Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC shall have been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been required by FINRA or by order of the Commission or any other government authority having jurisdiction; or (iii) if the United States shall have become involved in a new war or an increase in major hostilities; or (iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by a New York State or federal authority; or (v) if a moratorium on foreign exchange trading has been declared which materially adversely impacts the United States securities markets; or (vi) if the Company shall have sustained a material loss by fire, flood, accident, hurricane, earthquake, theft, sabotage or other

 

23


calamity or malicious act which, whether or not such loss shall have been insured, will, in Representative opinion, make it inadvisable to proceed with the delivery of the Firm Shares; or (vii) if the Company is in material breach of any of its representations, warranties or covenants hereunder; or (viii) if the Representative shall have become aware after the date hereof of such a Material Adverse Change in the conditions of the Company, or such adverse material change in general market conditions as in the Representative’s judgment would make it impracticable to proceed with the offering, sale and/or delivery of the Public Securities or to enforce contracts made by the Underwriters for the sale of the Public Securities. Section 5 of this Agreement shall survive any termination of this Agreement.

(c)    Expenses. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, except in the case of a default by the Underwriters pursuant to Section 6(b) above, in the event that this Agreement shall not be carried out for any reason whatsoever, within the time specified herein or any extensions thereof pursuant to the terms herein, the Company shall be obligated, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 6(b), above to pay to the Underwriters their reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses related to the transactions contemplated herein then due and payable and upon demand the Company shall pay the full amount thereof to the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters (less any amounts previously advanced to the Representative). Notwithstanding the foregoing, any advance received by the Representative will be reimbursed to the Company to the extent not actually incurred in compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(C).

(d)    Indemnification. Notwithstanding any contrary provision contained in this Agreement, any election hereunder or any termination of this Agreement, and whether or not this Agreement is otherwise carried out, the provisions of Section 5 shall remain in full force and effect and shall not be in any way affected by, such election or termination or failure to carry out the terms of this Agreement or any part hereof.

(e)    Representations, Warranties, Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company or (ii) delivery of and payment for the Public Securities.

9.    Miscellaneous.

(a)    Notices. All communications hereunder, except as herein otherwise specifically provided, shall be in writing and shall be mailed (registered or certified mail, return receipt requested), or personally delivered and shall be deemed given when so delivered or if mailed, two (2) days after such mailing.

If to the Representative:

The Benchmark Company, LLC

150 East 58th Street, 17th Floor

New York, New York 10155

Attention: Managing Director

If to the Company:

Acasti Pharma Inc.

545 Promenade du Centropolis, Suite 100

Laval, Québec, Canada H7T 0A3

Attention: President

(b)    Headings. The headings contained herein are for the sole purpose of convenience of reference, and shall not in any way limit or affect the meaning or interpretation of any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement.

(c)    Amendment. This Agreement may only be amended by a written instrument executed by each of the parties hereto.

 

24


(d)    Entire Agreement. Except as set forth in the following sentence, this Agreement (together with the other agreements and documents being delivered pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement) constitutes the entire agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings of the parties, oral and written, with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement shall replace and supersede the Engagement Letter between the Company and Benchmark Company LLC dated September 5, 2017; provided that Section 8 of such Engagement Letter shall survive the execution of this Agreement.

(e)    Binding Effect. This Agreement shall inure solely to the benefit of and shall be binding upon the Representative, the Underwriters, each Indemnified Person referred to in Section 5, the Company and the controlling persons, directors and officers referred to in Section 5 hereof, and their respective successors, legal representatives, heirs and assigns, and no other person shall have or be construed to have any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of or by virtue of this Agreement or any provisions herein contained. The term “successors and assigns” shall not include a purchaser, in its capacity as such, of securities from any of the Underwriters.

(f)    Governing Law; Consent to Jurisdiction; Trial by Jury. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflict of laws principles thereof. The Company hereby agrees that any action, proceeding or claim against it arising out of, or relating in any way to this Agreement shall be brought and enforced in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and irrevocably submits to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be exclusive. The Company hereby waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. Any such process or summons to be served upon the Company may be served by transmitting a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to it at the address set forth in Section 9(a) hereof. Such mailing shall be deemed personal service and shall be legal and binding upon the Company in any action, proceeding or claim. The Company agrees that the prevailing party(ies) in any such action shall be entitled to recover from the other party(ies) all of its reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses relating to such action or proceeding and/or incurred in connection with the preparation therefor. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its shareholders and affiliates) and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

(g)    Execution in Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts has been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to each of the other parties hereto. Delivery of a signed counterpart of this Agreement by email/pdf transmission shall constitute valid and sufficient delivery thereof.

(h)    Waiver, etc. The failure of any of the parties hereto to at any time enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement shall not be deemed or construed to be a waiver of any such provision, nor to in any way effect the validity of this Agreement or any provision hereof or the right of any of the parties hereto to thereafter enforce each and every provision of this Agreement. No waiver of any breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be effective unless set forth in a written instrument executed by the party or parties against whom or which enforcement of such waiver is sought; and no waiver of any such breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment shall be construed or deemed to be a waiver of any other or subsequent breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

25


If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Underwriters and the Company, please so indicate in the space provided below.

 

Very truly yours,
Acasti Pharma Inc.
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

Confirmed as of the date first written above

mentioned, on behalf of itself and as Representative

of the several Underwriters named on Schedule 1

hereto:

 

The Benchmark Company, LLC
By:  

     

Name:  
Title:  
On behalf of each of the Underwriters

[SIGNATURE PAGE]

ACASTI PHARMA INC. – UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

26


SCHEDULE 1

 

Underwriter

  Total Number of Shares to be
Purchased
    Number of Shares to be
Purchased if the Over-
Allotment Option is Fully
Exercised
 

The Benchmark Company, LLC

   

Dawson James Securities, Inc.

   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

27


SCHEDULE 2

Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses

None.

 

28


SCHEDULE 3

List of Lock-Up Parties

[    ]

 

29


EXHIBIT A

Form of Representative’s Warrant Agreement

 

30


Form of Underwriter’s Warrant Agreement

THIS PURCHASE WARRANT AND THE SECURITIES DELIVERABLE UPON EXERCISE HEREOF HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “ACT”), OR APPLICABLE STATE LAW. THIS PURCHASE WARRANT MAY NOT BE OFFERED FOR SALE, SOLD, EXERCISED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE ACT, OR PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE LAW WHICH, IN THE OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE COMPANY, IS AVAILABLE.

THE REGISTERED HOLDER OF THIS PURCHASE WARRANT BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF, AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT SELL, TRANSFER OR ASSIGN THIS PURCHASE WARRANT EXCEPT AS HEREIN PROVIDED AND THE REGISTERED HOLDER OF THIS PURCHASE WARRANT AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT SELL, TRANSFER, ASSIGN, PLEDGE OR HYPOTHECATE THIS PURCHASE WARRANT FOR A PERIOD OF ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DAYS FOLLOWING THE EFFECTIVE DATE (DEFINED BELOW) TO ANYONE OTHER THAN (I) THE BENCHMARK COMPANY, LLC OR AN UNDERWRITER OR A SELECTED DEALER IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING, OR (II) A BONA FIDE OFFICER OR PARTNER OF THE BENCHMARK COMPANY, LLC OR OF ANY SUCH UNDERWRITER OR SELECTED DEALER.

THIS PURCHASE WARRANT AND THE SECURITIES DELIVERABLE UPON EXERCISE HEREOF ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN RESALE RESTRICTIONS IN CANADA PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF APPLICABLE CANADIAN SECURITIES LAWS AND CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS UPON TRANSFER PURSUANT TO THE TERMS HEREOF.

UNLESS PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE SECURITIES LEGISLATION, THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY MUST NOT TRADE THE SECURITY IN CANADA OR TO OR FOR THE BENEFIT OF A CANADIAN RESIDENT BEFORE [●], 2018.

THIS PURCHASE WARRANT IS NOT EXERCISABLE PRIOR TO [•], 2018. VOID AFTER 5:00 P.M., EASTERN TIME, [●], 2022.

COMMON SHARE PURCHASE WARRANT

For the Purchase of [●] Common Shares

of

ACASTI PHARMA INC.

1.    Purchase Warrant. THIS CERTIFIES THAT, in consideration of funds duly paid by or on behalf of THE BENCHMARK COMPANY, LLC (“Holder”), as registered owner of this Purchase Warrant, to ACASTI PHARMA INC., a corporation governed by the laws of Quebec (the “Company”), Holder is entitled, at any time or from time to time from [●], 2018 (the “Commencement Date”), and at or before 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, [●], 2022, which will be the five-year anniversary of the effective date of the Company’s Form F-1 registration statement (File No. 333-220755) (such date, the “Effective Date”) (the ”Expiration Date”), but not thereafter, to subscribe for, purchase and receive, in whole or

 

31


in part, up to [●] common shares of the Company, no par value (the “Shares”), subject to adjustment as provided in Section 6 hereof. If the Expiration Date is a day on which banking institutions are authorized by law to close, then this Purchase Warrant may be exercised on the next succeeding day which is not such a day in accordance with the terms herein. During the period ending on the Expiration Date, the Company agrees not to take any action that would terminate this Purchase Warrant. This Purchase Warrant is initially exercisable at $[●] per Share; provided, however, that upon the occurrence of any of the events specified in Section 6 hereof, the rights granted by this Purchase Warrant, including the exercise price per Share and the number of Shares to be received upon such exercise, shall be adjusted as therein specified. The term “Exercise Price” shall mean the initial exercise price or the adjusted exercise price, depending on the context.

2.    Exercise.

2.1    Exercise Form. In order to exercise this Purchase Warrant, the exercise form attached hereto must be duly executed and completed and delivered to the Company, together with this Purchase Warrant and payment of the Exercise Price for the Shares being purchased payable in cash by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account designated by the Company or by certified check or official bank check. If the subscription rights represented hereby shall not be exercised at or before 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the Expiration Date, this Purchase Warrant shall become and be void without further force or effect, and all rights represented hereby shall cease and expire.

2.2    Cashless Exercise. In lieu of exercising this Purchase Warrant by payment of cash or check payable to the order of the Company pursuant to Section 2.1 above, Holder may elect to receive the number of Shares equal to the value of this Purchase Warrant (or the portion thereof being exercised), by surrender of this Purchase Warrant to the Company, together with the exercise form attached hereto, in which event the Company will issue to Holder Shares in accordance with the following formula:

 

X   =        Y(A-B)       
     A     

Where,

       
   X   =    The number of Shares to be issued to Holder;
   Y   =    The number of Shares for which the Purchase Warrant is being exercised;
   A   =    The fair market value of one Share; and
   B   =    The Exercise Price.

For purposes of this Section 2.2, the fair market value of a Share is defined as follows:

 

  (i) if the Company’s common shares are traded on a securities exchange, the value shall be deemed to be the closing price on such exchange prior to the exercise form being submitted in connection with the exercise of the Purchase Warrant; or

 

  (ii) if the Company’s common shares are actively traded over-the-counter, the value shall be deemed to be the closing bid prior to the exercise form being submitted in connection with the exercise of the Purchase Warrant; if there is no active public market, the value shall be the fair market value thereof, as determined in good faith by the Company’s Board of Directors.

2.3     Legend. Each certificate for the securities purchased under this Purchase Warrant shall bear a legend as follows unless such securities have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”):

“The securities represented by this certificate have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), or applicable state law. Neither the securities nor any interest therein may be offered for sale, sold or otherwise transferred except pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Act, or pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Act and applicable state law which, in the opinion of counsel to the Company, is available.”

 

32


Each certificate for the securities purchased under this Purchase Warrant issued upon exercise of this Purchase Warrant prior to the date that is four months and a day after the Effective Date (as defined below), or if the securities purchased under this Purchase Warrant are entered into a direct registration or other electronic book-entry only system, or if the holder does not directly receive a certificate representing the securities issued upon exercise of this Purchase Warrant, the written notice confirming issuance thereof, will also bear the following legend:

“Unless permitted under securities legislation, the holder of this security must not trade the security in Canada or to or for the benefit of a Canadian resident before [●], 2018.”

2.4    Accredited Investor. The Holder is an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Act and of National Instrument 45-106 respecting prospectus exemptions, and is receiving the Purchase Warrant pursuant to an exemption from the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.

2.5    Resale of Shares. Holder and the Company acknowledge that as of the date hereof the Staff of the Division of Corporation Finance of the SEC has published Compliance & Disclosure Interpretation 528.04 in the Securities Act Rules section thereof, stating that the holder of securities issued in connection with a public offering may not rely upon Rule 144 promulgated under the Act to establish an exemption from registration requirements under Section 4(a)(1) under the Act, but may nonetheless apply Rule 144 constructively for the resale of such shares in the following manner: (a) provided that six months has elapsed since the last sale under the registration statement, an underwriter or finder may resell the securities in accordance with the provisions of Rule 144(c), (e), and (f), except for the notice requirement; (b) a purchaser of the shares from an underwriter receives restricted securities unless the sale is made with an appropriate, current prospectus, or unless the sale is made pursuant to the conditions contained in (a) above; (c) a purchaser of the shares from an underwriter who receives restricted securities may include the underwriter’s holding period, provided that the underwriter or finder is not an affiliate of the issuer; and (d) if an underwriter transfers the shares to its employees, the employees may tack the firm’s holding period for purposes of Rule 144(d), but they must aggregate sales of the distributed shares with those of other employees, as well as those of the underwriter or finder, for a six-month period from the date of the transfer to the employees. Holder and the Company also acknowledge that the Staff of the Division of Corporation Finance of the SEC has advised in various no-action letters that the holding period associated with securities issued without registration to a service provider commences upon the completion of the services, which the Company agrees and acknowledges shall be the closing of the Offering, and that Rule 144(d)(3)(ii) provides that securities acquired from the issuer solely in exchange for other securities of the same issuer shall be deemed to have been acquired at the same time as the securities surrendered for conversion (which the Company agrees is the date of the initial issuance of this Purchase Warrant). In the event that following a request by Holder to transfer the Shares in accordance with Compliance & Disclosure Interpretation 528.04 counsel for the Company reasonably concludes that Compliance & Disclosure Interpretation 528.04 no longer may be relied upon as a result of changes in applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations of the SEC Division of Corporation Finance, or as a result of judicial interpretations not known by the Company or its counsel on the date hereof (either, a “Registration Trigger Event”), then the Company shall promptly, and in any event within five (5) business days following the request, provide written notice to Holder of such determination. As a condition to giving such notice, the Company shall offer Holder a single demand registration right pursuant to an agreement in form acceptable to the Holder; provided that notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the obligations of the Company pursuant to this Section 2 shall terminate on the fifth anniversary of the Effective Date. In the absence of such conclusion by counsel for the Company, the Company shall, upon request of Holder given no earlier than six months after the final closing of the Offering, instruct its transfer agent to permit the transfer of such shares in accordance with Compliance & Disclosure Interpretation 528.04, provided that Holder has provided such documentation as shall be reasonably be requested by the Company to establish compliance with the conditions of Compliance & Disclosure Interpretation 528.04.

 

33


3.    Transfer.

3.1    General Restrictions. The registered Holder of this Purchase Warrant agrees by his, her or its acceptance hereof, that such Holder will not: (a) sell, transfer, assign, pledge or hypothecate this Purchase Warrant for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days following the Effective Date to anyone other than: (i) THE BENCHMARK COMPANY, LLC (“Benchmark”) or an underwriter or a selected dealer participating in the Offering, or (ii) a bona fide officer or partner of Benchmark or of any such underwriter or selected dealer, in each case in accordance with FINRA Conduct Rule 5110(g)(1), (b) cause this Purchase Warrant or the securities issuable hereunder to be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the effective economic disposition of this Purchase Warrant or the securities hereunder, except as provided for in FINRA Rule 5110(g)(2). After 180 days after the Effective Date, transfers to others may be made subject to compliance with or exemptions from applicable securities laws. In order to make any permitted assignment, the Holder must deliver to the Company the assignment form attached hereto duly executed and completed, together with the Purchase Warrant and payment of all transfer taxes, if any, payable in connection therewith. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company shall within five (5) Business Days transfer this Purchase Warrant on the books of the Company and shall execute and deliver a new Purchase Warrant or Purchase Warrants of like tenor to the appropriate assignee(s) expressly evidencing the right to purchase the aggregate number of Shares purchasable hereunder or such portion of such number as shall be contemplated by any such assignment, or (c) sell, transfer, assign, pledge or hypothecate this Purchase Warrant or the securities issuable upon exercise of this Purchase Warrant in Canada or to or for the benefit of a Canadian resident before [●], 2018, unless otherwise permitted under applicable securities legislation.

3.2     Restrictions Imposed by the Act. The securities evidenced by this Purchase Warrant shall not be transferred unless and until: (i) the Company has received the opinion of counsel for the Holder that the securities may be transferred pursuant to (a) an exemption from registration under the Act and applicable state securities laws, and (b) an exemption from the prospectus or other requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws, the availability of which is established to the reasonable satisfaction of the Company (the Company hereby agreeing that the opinion of Schiff Hardin LLP shall be deemed satisfactory evidence of the availability of an exemption under the Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws and, for purposes of the Holder’s reliance on the availability of the appropriate exemption from the prospectus or other requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws, the Company shall instruct its Canadian counsel to render any required opinion), or (ii) a registration statement or a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement relating to the offer and sale of such securities has been filed by the Company and declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) and compliance with applicable state securities law has been established and compliance with applicable Canadian securities laws including a receipted final prospectus under provincial or territorial laws unless otherwise offered or sold pursuant to an available exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus or other requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws.

4.    Registration Rights.

4.1    Grant of Right. The Holder shall have the right for a period of no more than five years from the Effective Date to include the Shares underlying the Purchase Warrants (collectively, the “Registrable Securities”) as part of any other registration of securities filed by the Company (other than in connection with a transaction contemplated by Rule 145(a) promulgated under the Securities Act or pursuant to Form S-8 or any equivalent form); provided, however, that if, solely in connection with any primary underwritten public offering for the account of the Company, the managing underwriter(s) thereof shall, in its reasonable discretion, impose a limitation on the number of common shares which may

 

34


be included in the Registration Statement because, in such underwriter(s)’ judgment, marketing or other factors dictate such limitation is necessary to facilitate public distribution, then the Company shall be obligated to include in such Registration Statement only such limited portion of the Registrable Securities with respect to which the Holder requested inclusion hereunder as the underwriter shall reasonably permit. Any exclusion of Registrable Securities shall be made pro rata among the Holders seeking to include Registrable Securities in proportion to the number of Registrable Securities sought to be included by such Holders; provided, however, that the Company shall not exclude any Registrable Securities unless the Company has first excluded all outstanding securities, the holders of which are not entitled to inclusion of such securities in such Registration Statement or are not entitled to pro rata inclusion with the Registrable Securities.

4.2    Terms. The Company shall bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering the Registrable Securities pursuant to this Section 4 hereof, but the Holders shall pay any and all underwriting commissions and the expenses of any legal counsel selected by the Holders to represent them in connection with the sale of the Registrable Securities. In the event of such a proposed registration, the Company shall furnish the then Holders of outstanding Registrable Securities with not less than ten (10) days written notice prior to the proposed date of filing of such registration statement. Such notice to the Holders shall continue to be given for each registration statement filed by the Company until such time as all of the Registrable Securities have been registered for resale under the Act or sold by the Holder. The holders of the Registrable Securities shall exercise the “piggy-back” rights provided for herein by giving written notice within ten (10) days of the receipt of the Company’s notice of its intention to file a registration statement. Except as otherwise provided in this Purchase Warrant, there shall be no limit on the number of times the Holder may request registration under this section; provided, however, that such “piggy-back” registration rights shall terminate on the fifth anniversary of the Effective Date in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(G)(v).

4.3    Indemnification. The Company shall indemnify the Holder(s) of the Registrable Securities to be sold pursuant to any registration statement hereunder and each person, if any, who controls such Holders within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”), against all loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (including all reasonable attorneys’ fees and other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any claim whatsoever) to which any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, arising from such registration statement but only to the same extent and with the same effect as the provisions pursuant to which the Company has agreed to indemnify the Holder(s) pursuant to the underwriting agreement relating to such registration statement (the “Underwriting Agreement”). The Holder(s) of the Registrable Securities to be sold pursuant to such registration statement, and their successors and assigns, shall severally, and not jointly, indemnify the Company, against all loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (including all reasonable attorneys’ fees and other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any claim whatsoever) to which they may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, arising from information furnished by or on behalf of such Holders, or their successors or assigns, in writing, for specific inclusion in such registration statement to the same extent and with the same effect as the provisions contained in the Underwriting Agreement pursuant to which the underwriters have agreed to indemnify the Company.

4.3     Exercise of Purchase Warrants. Nothing contained in this Purchase Warrant shall be construed as requiring the Holder(s) to exercise their Purchase Warrants prior to or after the initial filing of any registration statement or the effectiveness thereof.

4.4     Documents Delivered to Holders. The Company shall deliver promptly to each Holder participating in the offering requesting the correspondence and memoranda described below and to the managing underwriter, if any, copies of all correspondence between the Commission and the Company, its counsel or auditors and all memoranda

 

35


relating to discussions with the Commission or its staff with respect to the registration statement and permit each Holder and underwriter to do such investigation, upon reasonable advance notice, with respect to information contained in or omitted from the registration statement as it deems reasonably necessary to comply with applicable securities laws or rules of FINRA. Such investigation shall include access to books, records and properties and opportunities to discuss the business of the Company with its officers and independent auditors, all to such reasonable extent and at such reasonable times, during normal business hours, as any such Holder shall reasonably request.

4.5     Underwriting Agreement. If the Company shall enter into an underwriting agreement, pursuant to which Registrable Securities of a Holder are being registered, such Holders shall not be required to make any representations or warranties to or agreements with the Company or the underwriters except as they may relate to such Holders, their Shares and their intended methods of distribution.

4.6     Documents to be Delivered by Holder(s). Each of the Holder(s) participating in any of the foregoing offerings shall furnish to the Company (i) a completed and executed questionnaire provided by the Company requesting information customarily sought of selling security holders.

5.    New Purchase Warrants to be Issued.

5.1    Partial Exercise or Transfer. Subject to the restrictions in Section 3 hereof, this Purchase Warrant may be exercised or assigned in whole or in part. In the event of the exercise or assignment hereof in part only, upon surrender of this Purchase Warrant for cancellation, together with the duly executed exercise or assignment form and funds sufficient to pay any Exercise Price and/or transfer tax if exercised pursuant to Section 2.1 hereto, the Company shall cause to be delivered to the Holder without charge a new Purchase Warrant of like tenor to this Purchase Warrant in the name of the Holder evidencing the right of the Holder to purchase the number of Shares purchasable hereunder as to which this Purchase Warrant has not been exercised or assigned.

5.2     Lost Certificate. Upon receipt by the Company of evidence satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Purchase Warrant and of reasonably satisfactory indemnification or the posting of a bond, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Purchase Warrant of like tenor and date. Any such new Purchase Warrant executed and delivered as a result of such loss, theft, mutilation or destruction shall constitute a substitute contractual obligation on the part of the Company.

6.    Adjustments.

6.1    Adjustments to Exercise Price and Number of Securities. The Exercise Price and the number of Shares underlying the Purchase Warrant shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as hereinafter set forth:

6.1.1    Share Dividends; Split Ups. If, after the date hereof, and subject to the provisions of Section 6.3 below, the number of outstanding Shares is increased by a share dividend payable in Shares or by a split up of Shares or other similar event, then, on the effective day thereof, the number of Shares purchasable hereunder shall be increased in proportion to such increase in outstanding Shares, and the Exercise Price shall be proportionately decreased.

 

36


6.1.2     Aggregation of Shares. If, after the date hereof, and subject to the provisions of Section 6.3 below, the number of outstanding Shares is decreased by a consolidation, combination or reclassification of Shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date thereof, the number of Shares purchasable hereunder shall be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding Shares, and the Exercise Price shall be proportionately increased.

6.1.3     Replacement of Securities upon Reorganization, etc. In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Shares other than a change covered by Section 6.1.1 or 6.1.2 hereof or that solely affects the par value of such Shares, or in the case of any share reconstruction or amalgamation or consolidation of the Company with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or share reconstruction or amalgamation in which the Company is the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Shares), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the property of the Company as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which the Company is dissolved, the Holder of this Purchase Warrant shall have the right thereafter (until the expiration of the right of exercise of this Purchase Warrant) to receive upon the exercise hereof, for the same aggregate Exercise Price payable hereunder immediately prior to such event, the kind and amount of shares or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, share reconstruction or amalgamation, or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, by a Holder of the number of Shares of the Company obtainable upon exercise of this Purchase Warrant immediately prior to such event; and if any reclassification also results in a change in Shares covered by Section 6.1.1 or 6.1.2, then such adjustment shall be made pursuant to Sections 6.1.1, 6.1.2 and this Section 6.1.3. The provisions of this Section 6.1.3 shall similarly apply to successive reclassifications, reorganizations, share reconstructions or amalgamations, or consolidations, sales or other transfers.

6.1.4     Changes in Form of Purchase Warrant. This form of Purchase Warrant need not be changed because of any change pursuant to this Section 6.1, and Purchase Warrants issued after such change may state the same Exercise Price and the same number of Shares as are stated in the Purchase Warrants initially issued pursuant to this Agreement. The acceptance by any Holder of the issuance of new Purchase Warrants reflecting a required or permissive change shall not be deemed to waive any rights to an adjustment occurring after the Commencement Date or the computation thereof.

6.2     Substitute Purchase Warrant. In case of any consolidation of the Company with, or share reconstruction or amalgamation of the Company with or into, another corporation (other than a consolidation or share reconstruction or amalgamation which does not result in any reclassification or change of the outstanding Shares), the corporation formed by such consolidation or share reconstruction or amalgamation shall execute and deliver to the Holder a supplemental Purchase Warrant providing that the holder of each Purchase Warrant then outstanding or to be outstanding shall have the right thereafter (until the stated expiration of such Purchase Warrant) to receive, upon exercise of such Purchase Warrant, the kind and amount of shares and other securities and property receivable upon such consolidation or share reconstruction or amalgamation, by a holder of the number of Shares of the Company for which such Purchase Warrant might have been exercised immediately prior to such consolidation, share reconstruction or amalgamation, sale or transfer. Such supplemental Purchase Warrant shall provide for adjustments which shall be identical to the adjustments provided for in this Section 6. The above provision of this Section shall similarly apply to successive consolidations or share reconstructions or amalgamations.

6.3     Elimination of Fractional Interests. The Company shall not be required to issue certificates representing fractions of Shares upon the exercise of the Purchase Warrant, nor shall it be required to issue scrip or pay cash in lieu of any fractional interests, it being the intent of the parties that all fractional interests shall be eliminated by rounding any fraction up or down, as the case may be, to the nearest whole number of Shares or other securities, properties or rights.

 

37


7.     Reservation and Listing. The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized Shares, solely for the purpose of issuance upon exercise of the Purchase Warrants, such number of Shares or other securities, properties or rights as shall be issuable upon the exercise thereof. The Company covenants and agrees that, upon exercise of the Purchase Warrants and payment of the Exercise Price therefor, in accordance with the terms hereby, all Shares and other securities issuable upon such exercise shall be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and not subject to preemptive rights of any shareholder. As long as the Purchase Warrants shall be outstanding, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause all Shares issuable upon exercise of the Purchase Warrants to be listed (subject to official notice of issuance) on all national securities exchanges (or, if applicable, quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board or any successor trading market) on which the Company’s common shares may then be listed and/or quoted.

8.    Certain Notice Requirements.

8.1    Holder’s Right to Receive Notice. Nothing herein shall be construed as conferring upon the Holders the right to vote or consent or to receive notice as a shareholder for the election of directors or any other matter, or as having any rights whatsoever as a shareholder of the Company. If, however, at any time prior to the expiration of the Purchase Warrants and their exercise, any of the events described in Section 8.2 shall occur, then, in one or more of said events, the Company shall give written notice of such event at least ten (10) days prior to the date fixed as a record date or the date of closing the transfer books for the determination of the shareholders entitled to such dividend, distribution, conversion or exchange of securities or subscription rights, or entitled to vote on such proposed dissolution, liquidation, winding up or sale. Such notice shall specify such record date or the date of the closing of the transfer books, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall deliver to each Holder a copy of each notice given to the other shareholders of the Company at the same time and in the same manner that such notice is given to the shareholders.

8.2     Events Requiring Notice. The Company shall be required to give the notice described in this Section 8 upon one or more of the following events: (i) if the Company shall take a record of the holders of its Shares for the purpose of entitling them to receive a dividend or distribution payable otherwise than in cash, or a cash dividend or distribution payable otherwise than out of retained earnings, as indicated by the accounting treatment of such dividend or distribution on the books of the Company, (ii) the Company shall offer to all the holders of its Shares any additional shares of capital stock of the Company or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company, or any option, right or warrant to subscribe therefor, or (iii) a dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Company (other than in connection with a consolidation or share reconstruction or amalgamation) or a sale of all or substantially all of its property, assets and business shall be proposed.

8.3     Notice of Change in Exercise Price. The Company shall, promptly after an event requiring a change in the Exercise Price pursuant to Section 6 hereof, send notice to the Holders of such event and change (“Price Notice”). The Price Notice shall describe the event causing the change and the method of calculating same and shall be certified as being true and accurate by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer.

8.4     Transmittal of Notices. All notices, requests, consents and other communications under this Purchase Warrant shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly made when hand delivered, or mailed by express mail or private courier service: (i) if to the registered Holder of the Purchase Warrant, to the address of such Holder as shown on the books of the Company, or (ii) if to the Company, to following address or to such other address as the Company may designate by notice to the Holders:

If to the Holder:

The Benchmark Company, LLC

150 East 58th Street, 17th Floor

New York, New York 10155

Attention: Managing Director

 

38


If to the Company:

Acasti Pharma Inc.

545 Promenade du Centropolis, Suite 100

Laval, Québec, Canada H7T 0A3

Attention: President

9.    Miscellaneous.

9.1    Amendments. The Company and Benchmark may from time to time supplement or amend this Purchase Warrant without the approval of any of the Holders in order to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision contained herein that may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, or to make any other provisions in regard to matters or questions arising hereunder that the Company and Benchmark may deem necessary or desirable and that the Company and Benchmark deem shall not adversely affect the interest of the Holders. All other modifications or amendments shall require the written consent of and be signed by the party against whom enforcement of the modification or amendment is sought.

9.2     Headings. The headings contained herein are for the sole purpose of convenience of reference, and shall not in any way limit or affect the meaning or interpretation of any of the terms or provisions of this Purchase Warrant.

9.3.     Entire Agreement. This Purchase Warrant (together with the other agreements and documents being delivered pursuant to or in connection with this Purchase Warrant) constitutes the entire agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings of the parties, oral and written, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

9.4     Binding Effect. This Purchase Warrant shall inure solely to the benefit of and shall be binding upon, the Holder and the Company and their permitted assignees, respective successors, legal representative and assigns, and no other person shall have or be construed to have any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of or by virtue of this Purchase Warrant or any provisions herein contained.

9.5     Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction; Trial by Jury. This Purchase Warrant shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflict of laws principles thereof. Each of the Company and the Holder hereby agrees that any action, proceeding or claim against it arising out of, or relating in any way to this Purchase Warrant shall be brought and enforced in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and irrevocably submits to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be exclusive. Each of the Company and the Holder hereby waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. Any process or summons to be served upon the Company or the Holder may be served by transmitting a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to it at the address set forth in Section 8 hereof. Such mailing shall be deemed personal service and shall be legal and binding upon the Company and the Holder in any action, proceeding or claim. The Company and the Holder agree that the prevailing party(ies) in any such action shall be entitled to recover from the other party(ies) all of its reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses relating to such action or proceeding and/or incurred in connection with the preparation therefor. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its shareholders and affiliates) and the Holder hereby irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

39


9.6     Waiver, etc. The failure of the Company or the Holder to at any time enforce any of the provisions of this Purchase Warrant shall not be deemed or construed to be a waiver of any such provision, nor to in any way affect the validity of this Purchase Warrant or any provision hereof or the right of the Company or any Holder to thereafter enforce each and every provision of this Purchase Warrant. No waiver of any breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment of any of the provisions of this Purchase Warrant shall be effective unless set forth in a written instrument executed by the party or parties against whom or which enforcement of such waiver is sought; and no waiver of any such breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment shall be construed or deemed to be a waiver of any other or subsequent breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment.

9.7     Exchange Agreement. As a condition of the Holder’s receipt and acceptance of this Purchase Warrant, Holder agrees that, at any time prior to the complete exercise of this Purchase Warrant by Holder, if the Company and Benchmark enter into an agreement (“Exchange Agreement”) pursuant to which they agree that all outstanding Purchase Warrants will be exchanged for securities or cash or a combination of both, then Holder shall agree to such exchange and become a party to the Exchange Agreement.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

40


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Purchase Warrant to be signed by its duly authorized officer as of the [●] day of November, 2017.

 

  Acasti Pharma Inc.
  By:  

 

  Name:  
  Title:  

 

41


[Form to be used to exercise Purchase Warrant]

Date:             , 20    

The undersigned hereby elects irrevocably to exercise the Purchase Warrant for              common shares, no par value (the “Shares”), of Acasti Pharma Inc., a corporation governed by the laws of Quebec (the “Company”), and hereby makes payment of $             (at the rate of $             per Share) in payment of the Exercise Price pursuant thereto. Please issue the Shares as to which this Purchase Warrant is exercised in accordance with the instructions given below and, if applicable, a new Purchase Warrant representing the number of Shares for which this Purchase Warrant has not been exercised.

or

The undersigned hereby elects irrevocably to convert its right to purchase              Shares of the Company under the Purchase Warrant for              Shares, as determined in accordance with the following formula:

 

X    

  =       Y(A-B)       
    A   

 

Where,            
     X    =    The number of Shares to be issued to Holder;  
     Y    =    The number of Shares for which the Purchase Warrant is being exercised;  
     A    =    The fair market value of one Share which is equal to $            ; and  
     B    =    The Exercise Price which is equal to $             per share  

The undersigned agrees and acknowledges that the calculation set forth above is subject to confirmation by the Company and any disagreement with respect to the calculation shall be resolved by the Company in its sole discretion.

Please issue the Shares as to which this Purchase Warrant is exercised in accordance with the instructions given below and, if applicable, a new Purchase Warrant representing the number of Shares for which this Purchase Warrant has not been converted.

Signature                                                                  

Signature Guaranteed                                              

 

42


INSTRUCTIONS FOR REGISTRATION OF SECURITIES

 

Name:  

 

  (Print in Block Letters)
Address:  

 

 

 

 

 

NOTICE: The signature to this form must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the Purchase Warrant without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever, and must be guaranteed by a bank, other than a savings bank, or by a trust company or by a firm having membership on a registered national securities exchange.

 

43


[Form to be used to assign Purchase Warrant]

ASSIGNMENT

(To be executed by the registered Holder to effect a transfer of the within Purchase Warrant):

FOR VALUE RECEIVED,                      does hereby sell, assign and transfer unto the right to purchase common shares, no par value, of Acasti Pharma Inc., a corporation governed by the laws of Quebec (the “Company”), evidenced by the Purchase Warrant and does hereby authorize the Company to transfer such right on the books of the Company.

Dated:             , 20    

Signature                                                              

Signature Guaranteed                                         

NOTICE: The signature to this form must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the within Purchase Warrant without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever, and must be guaranteed by a bank, other than a savings bank, or by a trust company or by a firm having membership on a registered national securities exchange.

 

44


EXHIBIT B

Form of Lock-Up Agreement

 

45