8-K

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported): December 1, 2020

 

 

COGENT BIOSCIENCES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   001-38443   46-5308248

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

 

(Commission

File Number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

200 Cambridge Park Drive, Suite 2500

Cambridge, Massachusetts

  02140
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (617) 945-5576

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class

 

Trading

Symbol(s)

 

Name of each exchange

on which registered

Common stock, $0.001 Par Value   COGT   The Nasdaq Global Select Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Emerging growth company  ☒

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☒

 

 

 


Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement

On December 1, 2020, Cogent Biosciences, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into an underwriting agreement (“Underwriting Agreement”) with Jefferies LLC and Piper Sandler & Co., as the representatives of the underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”), to issue and sell 10,256,411 shares of the Company’s common stock at a public offering price of $9.75 per share (the “Offering”). In addition, the Company granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,538,461 shares of its common stock on the same terms and conditions (the “Option”). The gross proceeds from the offering are expected to be approximately $100.0 million before deducting customary underwriting discounts, offering expenses and excluding any exercise of the underwriters’ option.

The securities described above are offered pursuant to a shelf registration statement (File No. 333-230678), which became effective on May 1, 2019. A final prospectus supplement dated December 1, 2020 relating to and describing the terms of the offering was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on December 2, 2020.

In the Underwriting Agreement, the Company agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or to contribute payments that the underwriters may be required to make because of such liabilities.

A copy of the Underwriting Agreement is attached as Exhibit 1.1 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing description of the Underwriting Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such exhibit.

A copy of the opinion of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP relating to the validity of the securities issued in the Offering is filed herewith as Exhibit 5.1.

Item 8.01 Other Events.

Reference is made to the Company’s prospectus dated May 1, 2019 covering the offering, issuance and sale of up to a maximum aggregate offering price of $50,000,000 (the “Maximum Offering Price”) of the Company’s common stock that may be issued and sold under a sales agreement with Cowen and Company, LLC (the “ATM Facility”). Prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement (see Item 1.01 above), the Company filed a prospectus supplement dated December 1, 2020 to reduce the Maximum Offering Price to $9,500,000. As of the date of this report, no shares have been sold under the ATM Facility.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit
No.
   Description
  1.1    Cogent Biosciences, Inc. Underwriting Agreement
  5.1    Opinion of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
23.1    Consent of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

Date: December 2, 2020     COGENT BIOSCIENCES, INC.
    By:   /s/ John Green
      John Green
      Chief Financial Officer
EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

10,256,411 Shares

COGENT BIOSCIENCES, INC.

COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $0.001 PER SHARE

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

December 1, 2020

JEFFERIES LLC

PIPER SANDLER & CO.

As Representatives of the several Underwriters

c/o JEFFERIES LLC

520 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10022

c/o PIPER SANDLER & CO.

345 Park Avenue, Suite 1200

New York, New York 10154

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Cogent Biosciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom Jefferies LLC and Piper Sandler & Co. are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), 10,256,411 shares of its common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Firm Shares”). The Company also proposes to issue and sell to the Underwriters not more than an additional 1,538,461 shares of its common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Additional Shares”), if and to the extent that the Representatives shall have determined to exercise, on behalf of the Underwriters, the right to purchase such shares of common stock granted to the Underwriters in Section 2 hereof. The Firm Shares and the Additional Shares are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Shares.” The shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company to be outstanding after giving effect to the sales contemplated hereby are hereinafter referred to as the “Common Stock.”

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-230678), including a prospectus, relating to certain securities of the Company (the “Shelf Securities”), including the Shares, to be issued from time to time by the Company. The registration statement as amended at the time of effectiveness, including the information, if any, deemed to be part of the registration statement pursuant to Rule 430A or Rule 430B under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), is hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement,” and the related preliminary prospectus covering the Shelf Securities is hereinafter referred to as the “Basic Prospectus.” The Basic Prospectus, as supplemented by the prospectus supplement specifically related to the Shares in the form first used to confirm sales of the Shares (or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) is hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus,” and the term “preliminary prospectus” means any preliminary form of the Prospectus.

If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement to register additional shares of Common Stock pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (a “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement.

For purposes of this Agreement, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the preliminary prospectus together with the documents and pricing information set forth in Schedule II hereto, and “broadly available road show” means a “bona fide electronic road show” as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) under the Securities Act that has been made available without restriction to any

 


person. As used herein, the terms “Registration Statement,” “preliminary prospectus,” “Time of Sale Prospectus” and “Prospectus” shall include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein as of the date hereof. The terms “supplement,” “amendment” and “amend” as used herein with respect to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus shall include all documents subsequently filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein.

1. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:

(a) The Registration Statement has become effective; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose are pending before or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission.

(b) (i) Each document, if any, filed or to be filed pursuant to the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus complied or will comply when so filed in all material respects with the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (ii) the Registration Statement, when it became effective, did not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (iii) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (iv) the Time of Sale Prospectus does not, and at the time of each sale of the Shares in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and at the Closing Date (as defined in Section 4), the Time of Sale Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (v) each broadly available road show, if any, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (vi) the Prospectus does not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph do not apply to statements or omissions in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.

(c) The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Any free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule II hereto, and electronic road shows, if any, each furnished to the Representatives before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without the prior consent of the Representatives, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus.

(d) The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

 

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(e) Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. All of the issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims.

(f) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(g) The authorized capital stock of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in each of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(h) The shares of Common Stock outstanding prior to the issuance of the Shares have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

(i) The Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of such Shares will not be subject to any preemptive or similar rights that have not been validly waived.

(j) Neither the execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement, nor the issuance and sale of the Shares will contravene any provision of applicable law or the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary; and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, except such as have already been obtained or made or as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares.

(k) There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development that, singly or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus.

(l) There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (i) other than proceedings accurately described in all material respects in the Time of Sale Prospectus and proceedings that, singly or in the aggregate, would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or on the power or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Time of Sale Prospectus or (ii) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not so described. There are no statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required.

(m) Each preliminary prospectus filed as part of the registration statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

(n) The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus will not be, required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

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(o) The Company and its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

(p) There are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties) which would, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

(q) There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Company or to require the Company to include such securities with the Shares registered pursuant to the Registration Statement, except those contracts, agreements or understandings described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, all of which have been validly waived in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares contemplated hereby.

(r) None of the Company, its subsidiaries or their respective affiliates, or any director, officer or employee thereof, or, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent or representative of the Company, its subsidiaries or their respective affiliates, has taken or will take any action in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization or approval of the payment, giving or receipt of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any government official (including any officer or employee of a government or government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office) in order to influence official action, or to any person in violation of any applicable anti-corruption laws; and the Company, its subsidiaries and their respective affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws and have instituted and maintained and will continue to maintain policies and procedures reasonably designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws and with the representations and warranties contained herein. Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries will use, directly or indirectly, the proceeds of the offering in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any person in violation of any applicable anti-corruption laws.

(s) The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and its subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(t) (i) None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries, or any director, officer or employee thereof, or, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, is an individual or entity (“Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by one or more Persons that are: (A) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), or (B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria).

 

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(ii) The Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any direct or indirect subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person: (A) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or (B) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).

(iii) The Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.

(u) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries have not incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, nor entered into any material transaction; (ii) the Company has not purchased any of its outstanding capital stock (except in connection with the departure of an employee or consultant and pursuant to the terms of an existing agreement between such person and the Company of which the Underwriters have been advised in writing), nor declared, paid or otherwise made any dividend or distribution of any kind on its capital stock other than ordinary and customary dividends and (iii) there has not been any material change in the capital stock, short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries, except in each case as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, respectively.

(v) The Company does not own any real property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them which is material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries. Any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company or its subsidiaries are held by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, as applicable, under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus.

(w) The Company and its subsidiaries own or have valid, binding and enforceable licenses under all patents, patent applications, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names and other intellectual property used in or necessary for the conduct of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries in the manner described in the Time of Sale Prospectus (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”), except as enforceability of any licenses may be limited by bankruptcy and other similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and general principles of equity. The patents, trademarks and copyrights, if any, included within the Intellectual Property are valid, enforceable and subsisting, other than as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus. (i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is obligated to pay a material royalty, grant a license to or provide other material consideration to any third party in connection with the Intellectual Property, except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of any claim of infringement, misappropriation of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any of the Company’s or the subsidiaries’ product candidates, processes or Intellectual Property; (iii) no action, suit, claim or other proceeding is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened, challenging the Company’s or any subsidiary’s rights in or to any Intellectual Property or challenging the validity, enforceability or scope of any Intellectual Property; (iv) none of the development, manufacture, sale or use of any of the discoveries, inventions, product candidates or processes of the Company referred to in the Time of Sale Prospectus do or will infringe or violate any right or issued patent claim of any third party in any material respect; (v) no third party has any ownership right in or to any Intellectual Property that is owned by the Company other than any co-owner of any patent constituting Intellectual Property who is listed on the records of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and any co-owner of any patent application constituting Intellectual Property who is named in such patent application; (vi) except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, the Intellectual Property owned by the Company or its subsidiaries is free and clear of all liens or encumbrances; (vii) none of the technology employed by the Company or its subsidiaries in the conduct of the business in the manner described in the Time of Sale Prospectus has been obtained or is being used by the Company or its subsidiaries in material violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, upon any of its officers, consultants, directors or employees and (viii) the Company has taken reasonable measures to protect its confidential information and trade secrets and to maintain and safeguard the Intellectual Property.

 

 

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(x) All patent and patent applications owned by or licensed to the Company or its subsidiaries have been duly and properly filed, prosecuted and maintained in all material respects; to the knowledge of the Company, the parties prosecuting the patent applications owned or co-owned by the Company and patent applications from which patents owned or co-owned by the Company have issued have complied with their duty of candor and disclosure to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in connection with such applications; and the Company is not aware of any facts required to be disclosed to the USPTO that were not disclosed to the USPTO and which would preclude the grant of a patent in connection with any such application or would reasonably be expected to form the basis of a finding of invalidity with respect to any patents that have been issued with respect to such applications.

(y) The Company and its subsidiaries have operated and currently are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws, rules and regulations of the jurisdictions in which they are conducting business. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries (i) is and at all times has been in material compliance with all statutes, rules or regulations applicable to the ownership, testing, development, manufacture, packaging, processing, use, distribution, marketing, labeling, promotion, sale, offer for sale, storage, import, export or disposal of any product candidate under development, manufactured or distributed by the Company (“Applicable Laws”); (ii) in the past five years has not received any FDA Form 483, notice of adverse finding, warning letter, untitled letter or other written correspondence or notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) or any other federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authority alleging or asserting material noncompliance with any Applicable Laws or any licenses, certificates, approvals, clearances, authorizations, permits and supplements or amendments thereto required by any Applicable Laws to conduct the Company’s business as described in Time of Sale Prospectus (“Authorizations”); (iii) possesses all material Authorizations and such Authorizations are valid and in full force and effect and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in material violation of any such Authorizations; (iv) has not received notice of any pending or completed claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action from the FDA or any other federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authority or third party alleging that any product candidate operation or activity is in material violation of any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and the Company has no knowledge that the FDA or any other federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authority or third party is considering any such claim, litigation, arbitration, action, suit, investigation or proceeding; (v) in the past five years has not received notice that the FDA or any other federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authority has taken, is taking or intends to take action to limit, suspend, materially modify or revoke any material Authorizations and has no knowledge that the FDA or any other federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authority is considering such action; (vi) has filed, obtained, maintained or submitted all material reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments as required by any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and all such reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments were materially complete and correct on the date filed (or were corrected or supplemented by a subsequent submission) and (vii) has not, either voluntarily or involuntarily, initiated, conducted or issued or caused to be initiated, conducted or issued, any recall, safety alert, “dear doctor” letter or other notice or action relating to the alleged lack of safety or efficacy of any product candidate or any alleged product candidate defect or violation and, to the Company’s knowledge, no third party has initiated, conducted or intends to initiate any such notice or action.

(z) The preclinical studies, tests and clinical trials conducted by the Company that are described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, and, to the Company’s knowledge, those preclinical studies, tests and clinical trials conducted on behalf of the Company, were and, if still pending, are being conducted in all material respects in accordance with experimental protocols, procedures and controls pursuant to accepted professional scientific standards and all Applicable Laws and Authorizations, including, without limitation, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. The descriptions of the results of such studies, tests and trials contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus are accurate and complete and fairly present the data derived from such studies, tests and trials in all material respects. The Company is not aware of any studies, tests or trials, the results of which the Company believes are materially inconsistent with the study, test or trial results described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus when viewed in the context in which such results are described and the clinical state of development. The Company has not received any notices or written correspondence from the FDA or any other federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authority requiring the termination, suspension or material modification of, or prohibiting the commencement of, any preclinical studies, tests or clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of the Company.

 

 

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(aa) None of the Company, any of its officers, directors or managing employees (as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-5(b)) or, to the knowledge of the Company, agents, is or has been excluded, suspended or debarred from participation in any state or federal health care program, or made subject to any pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened or contemplated action which could reasonably be expected to result in such exclusion, suspension or debarment. The Company is not a party to or has any ongoing reporting obligations pursuant to any corporate integrity agreement, deferred or non-prosecution agreement, monitoring agreement, consent decree, settlement order, plan of correction or similar agreement imposed by any governmental authority.

(bb) To the knowledge of the Company, the manufacturing facilities and operations of its suppliers are operated in compliance in all material respects with all Applicable Laws.

(cc) None of the Company’s or the subsidiaries’ product candidates have received marketing approval from the FDA or any other federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authority.

(dd) No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists, except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent; and the Company is not aware of any existing, threatened or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its principal suppliers, manufacturers or contractors that would, individually or in the aggregate, have or be reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

(ee) Except (i) as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or (ii) as would not, singly or in the aggregate, have, or reasonably be expected to have, a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), that the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is under common control with the Company within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) sponsors or maintains has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Code.

(ff) The Company and its subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary for similarly sized companies in the business in which they are engaged. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus.

(gg) The Company and its subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have or reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus.

(hh) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC, which has certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, is an independent public accountant as required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and the rules and regulations of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).

 

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(ii) The consolidated financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, together with the related notes, present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and, in the case of the statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, for the periods specified. The consolidated financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved except (i) the unaudited, interim financial statements, which are subject to normal year-end adjustments and do not contain certain footnotes as permitted by the applicable rules of the Commission and (ii) as otherwise disclosed therein. Except as included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus under the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. To the extent included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the pro forma financial information and the related notes thereto included therein have been prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act, and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable, and the assumptions underlying such pro forma financial information are reasonable and are set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus in all material respects. All other information regarding the financial condition or results of operations of the Company or its subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby.

(jj) The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintains a system of 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 generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (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 and (v) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement is accurate. Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (ii) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

(kk) The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that are designed to comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act. Such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within the Company; and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

(ll) Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Company has not sold, issued or distributed any shares of Common Stock during the six-month period preceding the date hereof, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A under, or Regulation D or S of, the Securities Act, other than shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans or pursuant to outstanding options, rights or warrants.

(mm) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any securities rated by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act.

(nn) The Company and each of its subsidiaries has filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed through the date of this Agreement or has requested extensions thereof (except where the failure to file would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect) and has paid all taxes required to be paid thereon (except for cases in which the failure to file or pay would not have a material adverse effect, or, except as currently being contested in good faith and for which reserves required by GAAP have been created in the financial

 

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statements of the Company), and no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries which has had (nor does the Company nor its subsidiaries have any notice or knowledge of any tax deficiency which could reasonably be expected to be determined adversely to the Company or its subsidiaries and which could reasonably be expected to have) a material adverse effect.

(oo) The Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act and are listed on the The NASDAQ Global Select Market (the “Exchange”), and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Shares under the Exchange Act or delisting the Shares from the Exchange, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the Exchange is contemplating terminating such registration or listing. To the Company’s knowledge, it is in compliance with all applicable listing requirements of the Exchange.

(pp) Other than its subsidiaries, the Company, directly or indirectly, owns no capital stock or other equity or ownership or proprietary interest in any corporation, partnership, association, trust or other entity.

(qq) From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”). “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act.

(rr) The Company (i) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representatives with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Schedule III hereto. “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

(ss) As of the time of each sale of the Shares in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, none of (i) the Time of Sale Prospectus, (ii) any free writing prospectus, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, and (iii) any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, 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 that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statement or omissions made in each such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company in writing by the Representatives expressly for use in such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication.

(tt) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or of any “reference security” (as defined in Rule 100 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act (“Regulation M”)) with respect to the Shares, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares or otherwise, and has taken no action which would directly or indirectly violate Regulation M.

(uu) There are no business relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that have not been described as required.

(vv) [Reserved.]

 

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(ww) All statistical, demographic and market related data included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes, after reasonable inquiry, to be reliable and accurate in all material respects. To the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.

(xx) There is, and has been, no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any applicable provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

(yy) [Reserved.]

(zz) Each financial or operational projection or other “forward-looking statement” (as defined by Section 27A of the Securities Act or Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (i) was so included by the Company in good faith and with reasonable basis after due consideration by the Company of the underlying assumptions, estimates and other applicable facts and circumstances and (ii) is accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements identifying those factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward looking statement. No such statement was made with the knowledge of an executive officer or director of the Company that it was false or misleading.

(aaa) [Reserved.]

(bbb) The Company and its subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform, in each case, in all material respects, as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted, free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants. The Company and its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable physical, technical and administrative controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data, including “Personal Data,” used in connection with their businesses. “Personal Data” means (i) a natural person’s name, street address, telephone number, e-mail address, photograph, social security number or tax identification number, driver’s license number, passport number, credit card number, bank information, or customer or account number; (ii) any information which would qualify as “personally identifying information” under the Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended; (iii) “personal data” as defined by GDPR; (iv) any information which would qualify as “protected health information” under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (collectively, “HIPAA”); and (v) any other piece of information that allows the identification of such natural person, or his or her family, or permits the collection or analysis of any data related to an identified person’s health or sexual orientation. There have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other person, nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same. The Company and its subsidiaries are presently in material compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification.

(ccc) The Company and its subsidiaries are, and at all prior times were, in material compliance with all applicable state and federal data privacy and security laws and regulations, including without limitation HIPAA, and the Company and its subsidiaries have taken commercially reasonable actions to prepare to comply with, and since May 25, 2018, have been and currently are in compliance with, the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) (EU 2016/679) (collectively, the “Privacy Laws”). To ensure compliance with the Privacy Laws, the Company and its subsidiaries have in place, comply with, and take appropriate steps reasonably designed to ensure compliance in all material respects with their policies and procedures relating to data privacy and security and the collection, storage, use, disclosure, handling, and analysis of Personal Data (the “Policies”). The Company and its subsidiaries have at all times made all disclosures to users or customers required by applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, and none of such disclosures made or contained in any Policy have, to the knowledge

 

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of the Company, been inaccurate or in violation of any applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements in any material respect. The Company further certifies that neither it nor any subsidiary: (i) has received notice of any actual or potential liability under or relating to, or actual or potential violation of, any of the Privacy Laws, and has no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice; (ii) is currently conducting or paying for, in whole or in part, any investigation, remediation, or other corrective action pursuant to any Privacy Law; or (iii) is a party to any order, decree, or agreement that imposes any obligation or liability under any Privacy Law.

2. Agreements to Sell and Purchase. The Company hereby agrees to sell to the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter, upon the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the conditions hereinafter stated, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective numbers of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite its name at $9.165 a share (the “Purchase Price”).

On the basis of the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, and subject to its terms and conditions, the Company agrees to sell to the Underwriters the Additional Shares, and the Underwriters shall have the right to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to 1,538,461 Additional Shares at the Purchase Price, provided, however, that the amount paid by the Underwriters for any Additional Shares shall be reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Shares but not payable on such Additional Shares. The Representatives may exercise this right on behalf of the Underwriters in whole or from time to time in part by giving written notice not later than 30 days after the date of this Agreement. Any exercise notice shall specify the number of Additional Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and the date on which such shares are to be purchased. Each purchase date must be at least one business day after the written notice is given and may not be earlier than the closing date for the Firm Shares nor later than ten business days after the date of such notice. Additional Shares may be purchased as provided in Section 4 hereof solely for the purpose of covering sales of shares in excess of the number of Firm Shares. On each day, if any, that Additional Shares are to be purchased (an “Option Closing Date”), each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Additional Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date as the number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares.

3. Terms of Public Offering. The Company is advised by the Representatives that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Shares as soon after the Registration Statement and this Agreement have become effective as in the Representatives’ judgment is advisable. The Company is further advised by the Representatives that the Shares are to be offered to the public initially at $9.75 a share (the “Public Offering Price”) and to certain dealers selected by the Representatives at a price that represents a concession not in excess of $0.351 a share under the Public Offering Price.

4. Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Firm Shares shall be made to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery of such Firm Shares for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on December 4, 2020, or at such other time on the same or such other date, not later than December 11, 2020, as shall be designated in writing by the Representatives. The time and date of such payment are hereinafter referred to as the “Closing Date.”

Payment for any Additional Shares shall be made to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery of such Additional Shares for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the date specified in the corresponding notice described in Section 2 or at such other time on the same or on such other date, in any event not later than January 15, 2021, as shall be designated in writing by the Representatives.

The Firm Shares and Additional Shares shall be registered in such names and in such denominations as the Representatives shall request in writing not later than one full business day prior to the Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be. The Firm Shares and Additional Shares shall be delivered to the Representatives on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters, with transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer of the Shares to the Underwriters, if any, duly paid, against payment of the Purchase Price therefor.

 

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5. Conditions to the Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the Company to sell the Shares to the Underwriters and the several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Shares on the Closing Date are subject to the condition that the Registration Statement has become effective.

The several obligations of the Underwriters are subject to the following further conditions:

(a) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, prospects or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus that, in the Representatives’ judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in the Representatives’ judgment, impracticable to market the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus.

(b) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Company, to the effect set forth in Section 5(a) above and to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Company has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date. The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.

(c) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion and negative assurance letter of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, outside counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, covering tax disclosure and other customary matters in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

(d) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, special counsel to the Company with respect to certain intellectual property matters, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

(e) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion and negative assurance letter of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

With respect to certain provisions included in the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Sections 5(c) and 5(e) above, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Latham & Watkins LLP may state that their opinions and beliefs are based upon their participation in the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto (other than the documents incorporated by reference) and upon review and discussion of the contents thereof (including documents incorporated by reference), but are without independent check or verification, except as specified.

The opinions of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and McDermott Will & Emery LLP described in Sections 5(c)and 5(d) above shall be rendered to the Underwriters at the request of the Company and shall so state therein.

(f) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent public accountants, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than the date hereof.

(g) The lock-up agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, among the Representatives and certain shareholders, officers, directors and director-affiliated funds of the Company relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Common Stock or certain other securities, delivered to the Representatives on or before the date hereof (the “Lock-up Agreements”), shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date.

 

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(h) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a certificate of the chief financial officer of the Company certifying as to the accuracy of certain financial information included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters.

(i) The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase Additional Shares hereunder are subject to the delivery to the Underwriters on the applicable Option Closing Date of the following:

(i) a certificate, dated the Option Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Company, confirming that the certificate delivered on the Closing Date pursuant to Section 5(b) hereof remains true and correct as of such Option Closing Date;

(ii) an opinion and negative assurance letter of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, outside counsel for the Company, dated the Option Closing Date, relating to the Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(c) hereof;

(iii) an opinion of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, special counsel to the Company with respect to certain intellectual property matters, dated the Option Closing Date and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(d) hereof;

(iv) an opinion and negative assurance letter of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Option Closing Date, relating to the Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(e) hereof;

(v) a letter dated the Option Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent public accountants, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Underwriters pursuant to Section 5(f) hereof; provided that the letter delivered on the Option Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than two business days prior to such Option Closing Date;

(vi) such other documents as the Representatives may reasonably request with respect to the good standing of the Company, the due authorization and issuance of the Additional Shares to be sold on such Option Closing Date and other matters related to the issuance of such Additional Shares.

6. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

(a) To furnish to the Representatives, without charge, three conformed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference) and for delivery to each other Underwriter a conformed copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto but including documents incorporated by reference) and to furnish to the Representatives in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the second business day succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 6(e) or 6(f) below, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any documents incorporated by reference therein and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as the Representatives may reasonably request.

(b) Before amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, to furnish to the Representatives a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement and not to file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably object, and to file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such rule.

(c) To furnish to the Representatives a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and not to use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus to which the Representatives reasonably object.

 

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(d) Not to take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that the Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.

(e) If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Time of Sale Prospectus is delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

(f) If, during such period after the first date of the public offering of the Shares as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to the dealers (whose names and addresses the Representatives will furnish to the Company) to which Shares may have been sold by the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters and to any other dealers upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

(g) To endeavor to qualify the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives shall reasonably request; provided that, in connection therewith, the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction or subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.

(h) To make generally available to the Company’s security holders and to the Representatives as soon as practicable an earnings statement covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the date of this Agreement which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

(i) Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and the Company’s accountants in connection with the registration and delivery of the Shares under the Securities Act and all other fees or expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers, in the quantities hereinabove specified; (ii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, including transfer or other taxes, if any, payable thereon; (iii) the cost of printing or producing any Blue Sky or Legal Investment memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares under state securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 6(g) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky or Legal Investment memorandum; (iv) all

 

14


filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters incurred in connection with the review and qualification of the offering of the Shares by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (provided, that, the amount payable by the Company with respect to fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters pursuant to subsections (iii) and (iv) shall not exceed $30,000); (v) all costs and expenses incident to listing the Shares on the Exchange; (vi) the cost of printing certificates representing the Shares; (vii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary; (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and one half of the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show (provided that no aircraft shall be chartered without the consent of the Company and provided further that, for the avoidance of doubt, the Underwriters shall pay their own travel expenses, including lodging, transportation, meals and entertainment, other than the portion of the cost of the aircraft set forth above); (ix) the document production charges and expenses associated with printing this Agreement; and (x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section. It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section, Section 8 entitled “Indemnity and Contribution” and the last paragraph of Section 11 below, the Underwriters will pay all of their costs and expenses, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, stock transfer taxes payable on resale of any of the Shares by them and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.

(j) The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of the Shares within the meaning of the Securities Act and (ii) completion of the Restricted Period (as defined in this Section 6).

(k) If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication 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 Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission.

(l) The Company will deliver to each Underwriter (or its agent), on the date of execution of this Agreement, a properly completed and executed Certification Regarding Beneficial Owners of Legal Entity Customers, together with copies of identifying documentation, and the Company undertakes to provide such additional supporting documentation as each Underwriter may reasonably request in connection with the verification of the foregoing Certification.

The Company also covenants with each Underwriter that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period ending 90 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Restricted Period”), (1) 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 Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (3) file any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock.

The restrictions contained in the preceding paragraph shall not apply to (a) the Shares to be sold hereunder, (b) the issuance by the Company of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof pursuant to stock plans disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus, (c) the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of shares of Common Stock, provided that (i) such plan does not provide for the transfer of shares of Common Stock during the Restricted Period and (ii) to the extent a public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act is required

 

15


of or voluntarily made by the Company regarding the establishment of such plan, such announcement or filing shall include a statement to the effect that no transfer of shares of Common Stock may be made under such plan during the Restricted Period, (d) the filing by the Company of a registration statement on Form S-8 or a successor form thereto in respect of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock issued under or the grant of any award pursuant to stock plans disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus, (e) the entry into an agreement providing for the issuance by the Company of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock in connection with the acquisition by the Company or its subsidiaries of the securities, business, property or other assets of another person or entity or pursuant to an employee benefit plan assumed by the Company in connection with such acquisition, and the issuance of any such securities pursuant to any such agreement, or (f) the entry into an agreement providing for the issuance of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable for shares of Common Stock in connection with joint ventures, commercial relationships or other strategic transactions, and the issuance of any such securities pursuant to any such agreement; provided that in the case of clauses (e) and (f), the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock (on an as-converted, as-exercised or as-exchanged basis) that the Company may sell or issue or agree to sell or issue pursuant to clauses (e) and (f) shall not exceed 5% of the total number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately following the completion of the transactions contemplated by this agreement and all recipients of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock shall enter into a Lock-up Agreement with respect to the remaining portion of the Restricted Period.

7. Covenants of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter severally covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission under Rule 433(d) a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Company thereunder, but for the action of the Underwriter.

8. Indemnity and Contribution.

(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each affiliate of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (a “road show”), the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in subsection (b) below.

(b) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who sign the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to such Underwriter, but only with reference to information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus, road show or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, it being understood and agreed upon that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: the concession and reallowance figures appearing in the fifth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting,” and the information contained in the thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, twenty-second and twenty-third paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting.”

 

16


(c) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 8(a) or 8(b), such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all such indemnified parties and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. Such firm shall be designated in writing by the Representatives, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(a), and by the Company, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(b). The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 60 days after receipt by the indemnifying party of such request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d) To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 8(a) or 8(b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 8(d)(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 8(d)(i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, 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 hand in connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Shares (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate Public Offering Price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand 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 or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to the respective number of Shares they have purchased hereunder, and not joint.

(e) The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 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 that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 8(d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims,

 

17


damages and liabilities referred to in Section 8(d) shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The remedies provided for in this Section 8 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.

(f) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 8 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, any person controlling any Underwriter or any affiliate of any Underwriter or by or on behalf of the Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Shares.

9. Termination. The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement by notice given by the Representatives to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE MKT, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal or New York State authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (v), makes it, in the Representatives’ judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.

10. Effectiveness; Defaulting Underwriters. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.

If, on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Shares that it has or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of the Shares to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as the Representatives may specify, to purchase the Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the number of Shares that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be increased pursuant to this Section 10 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such number of Shares without the written consent of such Underwriter. If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Firm Shares and the aggregate number of Firm Shares with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Firm Shares to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and the Company for the purchase of such Firm Shares are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company. In any such case either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Prospectus, in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. If, on an Option Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Additional Shares and the aggregate number of Additional Shares with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall have the option to (i) terminate their obligation hereunder to purchase the Additional Shares to be sold on such

 

18


Option Closing Date or (ii) purchase not less than the number of Additional Shares that such non-defaulting Underwriters would have been obligated to purchase in the absence of such default. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.

If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters, or any of them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters or such Underwriters as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and disbursements of their counsel) reasonably incurred by such Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder.

11. Entire Agreement.

(a) This Agreement, together with any contemporaneous written agreements and any prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement) that relate to the offering of the Shares, represents the entire agreement between the Company and the Underwriters with respect to the preparation of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the conduct of the offering, and the purchase and sale of the Shares.

(b) The Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Shares: (i) the Underwriters have acted at arms length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to, the Company or any other person, (ii) the Underwriters owe the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement), if any, (iii) the Underwriters may have interests that differ from those of the Company and (iv) the Underwriters are not advising the Company or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. The Company waives to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Underwriters arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Shares.

12. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. Delivery of an executed counterpart of this Agreement by one party to the others may be made by facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature complying with the New York Electronic Signatures and Records Act (N.Y. State Tech. §§ 301-309), as amended from time to time, or other applicable law) or other transmission method, and the parties hereto agree that any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

13. Applicable Law. This Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising out of this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.

14. Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.

15. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and effective only upon receipt and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered, mailed or sent to the Representatives at c/o Jefferies LLC, 520 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10022, Attention: General Counsel, c/o Piper Sandler & Co., 800 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55402, Attention: Legal Department, with a copy (which copy shall not constitute notice) to Latham & Watkins LLP, 885 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10022, Attention: Nathan Ajiashvili, and if to the Company shall be delivered, mailed or sent to Cogent Biosciences, Inc., 200 Cambridge Park Drive, Suite 2500, Cambridge, MA 02140, Attn: Chief Financial Officer, with a copy to Ryan Murr of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP, 555 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 941051.

16. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes. (a) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United State.

 

 

19


(b) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

For purposes of this Section a “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k). “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b). “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable. “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

20


Very truly yours,
Cogent Biosciences, Inc.
By:  

/s/ John Green

  Name:   John Green
  Title:   Chief Financial Officer

 

Accepted as of the date hereof
Jefferies LLC
Piper Sandler & Co.

Acting severally on behalf of themselves and the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto.

Jefferies LLC
By:  

/s/ Matthew Kim

  Name:   Matthew Kim
  Title:   Joint US Head of Biopharmaceuticals,
    Managing Director
Piper Sandler & Co.
By:  

/s/ Paul Scansaroli

  Name:   Paul Scansaroli
  Title:   Managing Director

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


SCHEDULE I

 

Underwriter

   Number of Firm
Shares To

Be Purchased
 

Jefferies LLC

     4,615,386  

Piper Sandler & Co.

     3,589,744  

Wedbush Securities Inc.

     1,025,641  

LifeSci Capital LLC

     769,230  

Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.

     256,410  
  

 

 

 

Total:

     10,256,411  
  

 

 

 

 

 

Sch. I-1


SCHEDULE II

TIME OF SALE PROSPECTUS

 

1.

Preliminary prospectus dated November 30, 2020.

 

2.

Free writing prospectuses filed by the Company under Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act: None.

 

3.

Price per share to the public: $9.75

Number of Firm Shares offered: 10,256,411

Underwriters’ option to purchase Additional Shares: 1,538,461

 

Sch. II-1


SCHEDULE III

WRITTEN TESTING-THE-WATERS COMMUNICATIONS

None.

 

Sch. III-1


EXHIBIT A

FORM OF LOCK-UP LETTER

, 2020

JEFFERIES LLC

PIPER SANDLER & CO.

As Representatives of the several Underwriters

c/o JEFFERIES LLC

520 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10022

c/o PIPER SANDLER & CO.

345 Park Avenue, Suite 1200

New York, New York 10154

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The undersigned understands that Jefferies LLC and Piper Sandler & Co., as representatives (the “Representatives”) of the several underwriters (the “Underwriters”), proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Cogent Biosciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the Underwriters, including the Representatives, of 10,256,411 shares of the common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”).

To induce the Underwriters that may participate in the Public Offering to continue their efforts in connection with the Public Offering, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, it will not, during the period commencing on the date hereof and continuing until, and including, the date that is 90 days after the date of the final prospectus (the “Restricted Period”) relating to the Public Offering (the “Prospectus”), (1) 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 Common Stock beneficially owned (as such term is used in Rule 13d-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) by the undersigned or any other securities so owned that are convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of shares of Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of shares of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to:

(a) transactions relating to shares of Common Stock or other securities acquired in the Public Offering (other than any issuer-directed shares of Common Stock purchased in the Public Offering by an officer or director of the Company) or acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the Public Offering;

(b) transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock as a bona fide gift, including without limitation to a charitable organization;

(c) distributions of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock to limited partners, general partners, managers, directors, officers, employees, members, stockholders or trust beneficiaries of the undersigned or of the undersigned’s affiliates (as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) or to any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by the undersigned; including, for the avoidance of doubt, transfers or distributions of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock to a fund managed by the same manager or managing member or general partner or management company or by an entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with such manager or managing member or general partner or management company as the undersigned or who shares a common investment advisor with the undersigned;

 

Exh. A-1


(d) transfers or dispositions of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock by will or other testamentary document or by intestacy;

(e) transfers or dispositions of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned in a transaction not involving a disposition for value (for purposes of this letter agreement (this “Agreement”), “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage, domestic partnership or adoption no more remote than first cousin, and shall include any former spouse);

(f) the exercise of options to purchase shares of Common Stock granted under a stock incentive plan or stock purchase plan described in the Prospectus and outstanding as of the date of the Prospectus or the exercise of warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock (or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock) described in the Prospectus and outstanding as of the date of the Prospectus, provided that the underlying Common Stock continues to be subject to the restrictions set forth in this Agreement and, provided further that any public filing or public announcement under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act required or voluntarily made during the Restricted Period in connection with the exercise of such stock option or warrant shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto or comments section thereof that the filing relates to the exercise of a stock option or warrant, as the case may be, that no shares of Common Stock were sold by the reporting person and that the shares of Common Stock received upon exercise of the stock option or warrant are subject to a lock-up agreement with the Underwriters of the Public Offering;

(g) transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock that occur by operation of law pursuant to a qualified domestic order or in connection with a divorce settlement;

(h) transfers or dispositions of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock to the Company pursuant to any contractual arrangement disclosed to the Representatives and in effect on the date hereof that provides for the repurchase of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock or such other securities by the Company solely in connection with the termination of the undersigned’s employment with the Company, provided that the repurchase price for any such shares or securities shall not exceed the original purchase price (subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization) paid by the undersigned to the Company for such shares or securities and, provided further that any public filing or public announcement under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act required or voluntarily made during the Restricted Period in connection with such transfer or disposition shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto or comments section thereof that such transfer or disposition was made solely to the Company pursuant to the circumstances described in this clause (h);

(i) the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of shares of Common Stock, provided that (A) such plan does not provide for the transfer of shares of Common Stock during the Restricted Period and (B) no public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act made by or on behalf of the undersigned or the Company regarding the establishment of such plan shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the Restricted Period;

(j) transfers to the Company of shares of Common Stock upon a vesting event of the undersigned’s Common Stock or upon the exercise of options or warrants to purchase Common Stock, in each case on a “cashless” or “net exercise” basis solely to cover tax withholding obligations of the undersigned in connection with such vesting or exercise; and

(k) transfers in connection with a bona fide third party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction involving a Change of Control (as defined below) of the Company that is approved by the Board of Directors of the Company, made to all holders of the Common Stock and occurring after the closing of the Public Offering, provided that in the event that the tender offer, merger, consolidation or other such transaction is not completed, the shares of Common Stock owned by the undersigned shall remain subject to the restrictions contained

 

Exh. A-2


in this Agreement and title to the undersigned’s shares shall remain with the undersigned. For the purposes of this clause (k), “Change of Control” means the consummation of any bona fide third party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction the result of which is that any “person” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), or group of persons, other than the Company, becomes the beneficial owner (as such term is used in Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act) of 90% of the total voting power of the voting stock of the Company;

provided that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clauses (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) or (g), (A) each donee or distributee shall sign and deliver to each of the Representatives a lock-up letter substantially in the form of this Agreement and, provided further that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clauses (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (g) or (j), no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the Restricted Period.

In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of each of the Representatives, it will not, during the Restricted Period, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters are relying upon this Agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the Public Offering. The undersigned further understands that this Agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns.

The undersigned understands that, (i) if either the Representatives, on the one hand, or the Company, on the other hand, informs the other in writing, prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement, that it has determined not to proceed with the Public Offering, (ii) if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the securities to be sold thereunder, (iii) if the registration statement related to the Public Offering has been withdrawn prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement or (iv) the Underwriting Agreement is not executed on or before March 31, 2021, the undersigned shall be automatically released from all obligations under this Agreement.

This Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.

Whether or not the Public Offering actually occurs depends on a number of factors, including market conditions. Any Public Offering will only be made pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company and the Underwriters.

 

Exh. A-3


Very truly yours,
Signature:    
Print Name:    
Address:    
   
   

 

 

Signature Page to FORM OF LOCK-UP LETTER

EX-5.1

Exhibit 5.1

 

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December 2, 2020

Cogent Biosciences, Inc.

200 Cambridge Park Drive, Suite 2500

Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140

 

Re:

Cogent Biosciences, Inc.

    

Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-230678)

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have examined the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-230678) (the “Registration Statement”), of Cogent Biosciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in connection with the offering by the Company of up to 11,794,872 shares (which includes shares that may be sold upon exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares) of the Company’s common stock (the “Common Stock”), par value $0.001 per share (the “Shares”).

In arriving at the opinion expressed below, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction as being true and complete copies of the originals, of specimen Common Stock certificates and such other documents, corporate records, certificates of officers of the Company and of public officials and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or advisable to enable us to render the opinions set forth below. In our examination, we have assumed without independent investigation the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity and competency of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies.

Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, exceptions, qualifications and limitations set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the Shares, when issued against payment therefor as set forth in the Registration Statement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and we further consent to the use of our name under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement and the prospectus that forms a part thereof. In giving these consents, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

 

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