EX-10 5 mv12-27ex10_4.txt 10.4 Exhibit 10.4 STANDBY EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT ------------------------------------- THIS AGREEMENT dated as of the 21 day of December 2006 (the "Agreement") between CORNELL CAPITAL PARTNERS, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the "Investor"), and EPICEPT CORPORATION, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the "Company"). WHEREAS, the parties desire that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions contained herein, the Company shall issue and sell to the Investor, from time to time as provided herein, and the Investor shall purchase from the Company up to Fifteen Million Dollars ($15,000,000) of the Company's common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the "Common Stock"); and WHEREAS, such investments will be made in reliance upon the provisions of Regulation D ("Regulation D") of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder (the "Securities Act"), and or upon such other exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act as may be available with respect to any or all of the investments to be made hereunder. WHEREAS, the Company has engaged Rodman & Renshaw LLC (the "Placement Agent"), to act as the Company's exclusive placement agent in connection with the sale of the Company's Common Stock to the Investor hereunder. NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows: ARTICLE I. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS Section 1.1. "Advance" shall mean the portion of the Commitment Amount requested by the Company in the Advance Notice. Section 1.2. "Advance Date" shall mean the first (1st) Trading Day after expiration of the applicable Pricing Period for each Advance. Section 1.3. "Advance Notice" shall mean a written notice in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto to the Investor executed by an officer of the Company and setting forth the Advance amount that the Company requests from the Investor. Section 1.4. "Advance Notice Date" shall mean each date the Company delivers (in accordance with Section 2.2(b) of this Agreement) to the Investor an Advance Notice requiring the Investor to advance funds to the Company, subject to the terms of this Agreement. No Advance Notice Date shall be less than five (5) Trading Days after the prior Advance Notice Date. Section 1.5. "Bid Price" shall mean, on any date, the closing bid price (as reported by Bloomberg L.P.) of the Common Stock on the Principal Market or if the Common Stock is not traded on a Principal Market, the highest reported bid price for the Common Stock, as furnished by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Section 1.6. "Closing" shall mean one of the closings of a purchase and sale of Common Stock pursuant to Section 2.3. Section 1.7. "Commitment Amount" shall mean the aggregate amount of up to Fifteen Million Dollars ($15,000,000) which the Investor has agreed to provide to the Company in order to purchase the Company's Common Stock pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, provided that, the Company shall not effect any sales under this Agreement and the Investor shall not have the right or the obligation to purchase any shares of Common Stock under this Agreement to the extent that after giving effect to such purchase and sale the aggregate number of shares issued under this Agreement would exceed 5,101,765 shares of Common Stock (which represents one less than 20% of the 25,508,830 outstanding shares of Common Stock as of the date of this Agreement) unless or until the Company obtains any necessary shareholder approval or consents in accordance with Nasdaq rules prior to such issuance. Section 1.8. "Commitment Period" shall mean the period commencing on the earlier to occur of (i) the Effective Date, or (ii) such earlier date as the Company and the Investor may mutually agree in writing, and expiring on the earliest to occur of (x) the date on which the Investor shall have made payment of Advances pursuant to this Agreement in the aggregate amount of the Commitment Amount, (y) the date this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 10.2 or (z) the date occurring thirty-six (36) months after the Effective Date. Section 1.9. "Common Stock" shall mean the Company's common stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Section 1.10. "Condition Satisfaction Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.2. Section 1.11. "Damages" shall mean any loss, claim, damage, liability, costs and expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable attorney's fees and disbursements and costs and expenses of expert witnesses and investigation). Section 1.12. "Effective Date" shall mean the date on which the SEC first declares effective a Registration Statement registering the resale of the Registrable Securities as set forth in Section 7.2(a). Section 1.13. Intentionally Omitted. Section 1.14. "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Section 1.15. "Material Adverse Effect" shall mean any condition, circumstance, or situation that may result in, or reasonably be expected to result in (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of the Agreement, (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company, taken as a whole, or (iii) a material adverse effect on the Company's 2 ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under the Agreement. Section 1.16. "Market Price" shall mean the average VWAP of the Common Stock on the Principal Market during the Pricing Period. Section 1.17. "Maximum Advance Amount" with respect to each Advance Notice shall mean the greater of (i) Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000) or (ii) the VWAP of the Common Stock on the Principal Market during the five (5) Trading Days immediately prior to such Advance Notice multiplied by the average daily volume traded (as reported by Bloomberg, LP) for the Common Stock on the Principal Market during the same five (5) Trading Days immediately prior to such Advance Notice. Section 1.18. "NASD" shall mean the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Section 1.19. "Person" shall mean an individual, a corporation, a partnership, an association, a trust or other entity or organization, including a government or political subdivision or an agency or instrumentality thereof. Section 1.20. "Placement Agent" shall mean Rodman & Renshaw LLC, a registered broker-dealer. Section 1.21. "Pricing Period" shall mean the five (5) consecutive Trading Days after the Advance Notice Date subject to any reduction pursuant to Section 2.2(c). Section 1.22. "Principal Market" shall mean the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the American Stock Exchange, the OTC Bulletin Board or the New York Stock Exchange, whichever is at the time the principal trading exchange or market for the Common Stock. Section 1.23. "Purchase Price" shall be set at ninety seven percent (97%) of the Market Price during the Pricing Period. Section 1.24. "Registrable Securities" shall mean the shares of Common Stock to be issued hereunder (i) in respect of which the Registration Statement has not been declared effective by the SEC, (ii) which have not been sold under circumstances meeting all of the applicable conditions of Rule 144 (or any similar provision then in force) under the Securities Act ("Rule 144") or (iii) which have not been otherwise transferred to a holder who may trade such shares without restriction under the Securities Act, and the Company has delivered a new certificate or other evidence of ownership for such securities not bearing a restrictive legend. Section 1.25. "Registration Rights Agreement" shall mean the Registration Rights Agreement dated the date hereof, regarding the filing of the Registration Statement for the resale of the Registrable Securities, entered into between the Company and the Investor. Section 1.26. "Registration Statement" shall mean a registration statement on Form S-1 (if use of such form is then available to the Company pursuant to the rules of the SEC and, if not, on such other form promulgated by the SEC for which the Company then qualifies and which counsel for the Company 3 shall deem appropriate, and which form shall be available for the resale of the Registrable Securities to be registered thereunder in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement, and in accordance with the intended method of distribution of such securities), for the registration of the resale by the Investor of the Registrable Securities under the Securities Act. Section 1.27. "Regulation D" shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement. Section 1.28. "SEC" shall mean the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Section 1.29. "Securities Act" shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement. Section 1.30. "SEC Documents" shall mean Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and Proxy Statements of the Company as supplemented to the date hereof, filed by the Company for a period of at least twelve (12) months immediately preceding the date hereof or the Advance Date, as the case may be, until such time as the Company no longer has an obligation to maintain the effectiveness of a Registration Statement as set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement. Section 1.31. "Trading Day" shall mean any day during which the New York Stock Exchange shall be open for business. Section 1.32. "Transaction Documents" shall mean this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement. Section 1.32. "VWAP" shall mean the volume weighted average price of the Company's Common Stock as quoted by Bloomberg, LP. ARTICLE II. ADVANCES Section 2.1. Advances. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, the provisions of Article VII hereof), the Company, at its sole and exclusive option, may issue and sell to the Investor, and the Investor shall purchase from the Company, shares of the Company's Common Stock by the delivery, in the Company's sole discretion, of Advance Notices. The number of shares of Common Stock that the Investor shall purchase pursuant to each Advance shall be determined by dividing the amount of the Advance by the Purchase Price. No fractional shares shall be issued. Fractional shares shall be rounded to the next higher whole number of shares. The aggregate maximum amount of all Advances that the Investor shall be obligated to make under this Agreement shall not exceed the Commitment Amount. Section 2.2. Mechanics. 4 (a) Advance Notice. At any time during the Commitment Period, the Company may require the Investor to purchase shares of Common Stock by delivering an Advance Notice to the Investor, subject to the conditions set forth in Section 7.2; provided, however, the amount for each Advance as designated by the Company in the applicable Advance Notice shall not be more than the Maximum Advance Amount and the aggregate amount of the Advances pursuant to this Agreement shall not exceed the Commitment Amount. The Company acknowledges that the Investor may sell shares of the Company's Common Stock corresponding with a particular Advance Notice after the Advance Notice is received by the Investor. There shall be a minimum of five (5) Trading Days between each Advance Notice Date. (b) Date of Delivery of Advance Notice. An Advance Notice shall be deemed delivered on (i) the Trading Day it is received by facsimile or otherwise by the Investor if such notice is received prior to 5:00 pm Eastern Time, or (ii) the immediately succeeding Trading Day if it is received by facsimile or otherwise after 5:00 pm Eastern Time on a Trading Day or at any time on a day which is not a Trading Day. No Advance Notice may be deemed delivered on a day that is not a Trading Day. (c) Minimum Acceptable Price. For the purposes of this Agreement, the "Minimum Acceptable Price" shall mean, in connection with each Advance Notice delivered by the Company, eighty five percent (85%) of the Bid Price on the Trading Day immediately preceding the Advance Notice Date for such Advance Notice. Upon the issuance by the Company of an Advance Notice the Minimum Acceptable Price with respect to that Advance Notice shall be determined and (i) the Company shall automatically reduce the amount of the Advance set forth in such Advance Notice by twenty percent (20%) for each Trading Day during the Pricing Period that the VWAP of the Common Stock is below the Minimum Acceptable Price (each such day, an "Excluded Day"), and (ii) each Excluded Day shall be excluded from the Pricing Period for purposes of determining the Market Price. The number of shares of Common Stock to be delivered to the Investor at the Closing (in accordance with Section 2.3 of this Agreement) shall correspond with the Advance Notice amount as reduced pursuant to clause (i) above, except that the Company shall be obligated to sell, and the Investor shall be obligated to purchase any shares of Common Stock corresponding to such Advance Notice that have been sold by the Investor and such shares shall be purchased at a price equal to such Minimum Acceptable Price multiplied by ninety-seven percent (97%). Section 2.3. Closings. On each Advance Date (i) the Company shall deliver to the Investor such number of shares of the Common Stock registered in the name of the Investor as shall equal (x) the amount of the Advance specified in such Advance Notice pursuant to Section 2.1 herein, divided by (y) the Purchase Price and (ii) upon receipt of such shares, the Investor shall deliver to the Company the amount of the Advance specified in the Advance Notice by wire transfer of immediately available funds. In addition, on or prior to the Advance Date, each of the Company and the Investor shall deliver to the other all documents, instruments and writings required to be delivered by either of them pursuant to this Agreement in order to implement and effect the transactions contemplated herein. To the extent the Company has not paid the fees, expenses, and disbursements of the Investor in accordance with Section 12.4, the amount of such fees, expenses, and disbursements may be deducted by the Investor (and shall be paid to the relevant party) directly out of the proceeds of the Advance with no reduction in the amount of shares of the Company's Common Stock to be delivered on such Advance Date. 5 (a) Company's Obligations Upon Closing. (i) The Company shall deliver to the Investor the shares of Common Stock applicable to the Advance in accordance with Section 2.3. The certificates evidencing such shares shall be free of restrictive legends. (ii) the Company shall maintain the effectiveness of the Registration Statement with respect to the resale of the shares of Common Stock delivered in connection with the Advance; (iii) the Company shall obtain all material permits and qualifications required by any applicable state for the offer and sale of the Registrable Securities, or have the availability of exemptions therefrom. The sale and issuance of the Registrable Securities shall be legally permitted by all laws and regulations to which the Company is subject; (iv) the Company shall file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports, notices and other documents required of a "reporting company" under the Exchange Act and applicable Commission regulations; (v) the Company shall pay all any unpaid fees set forth in Section 12.4 below or withhold such amounts as provided in Section 2.3; and (vi) The Company's transfer agent shall be DWAC eligible. (b) Investor's Obligations Upon Closing. Upon receipt of the shares referenced in Section 2.3(a)(i) above and provided the Company is in compliance with its obligations in Section 2.3, the Investor shall deliver to the Company the amount of the Advance specified in the Advance Notice by wire transfer of immediately available funds. Section 2.5. Hardship. In the event the Investor sells shares of the Company's Common Stock after receipt of an Advance Notice and the Company fails to perform its obligations as mandated in Section 2.3, and specifically the Company fails to deliver to the Investor on the Advance Date the shares of Common Stock corresponding to the applicable Advance pursuant to Section 2.3(a)(i), the Company acknowledges that the Investor shall suffer financial hardship and therefore shall be liable for any and all losses, commissions, fees, or financial hardship caused to the Investor. ARTICLE III. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF INVESTOR Investor hereby represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Company that the following are true and correct as of the date hereof and as of each Advance Date: Section 3.1. Organization and Authorization. The Investor is duly incorporated or organized and validly existing in the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization and has all requisite power and authority to purchase and hold the securities issuable hereunder. The decision to invest and the execution and delivery of this Agreement by such Investor, the performance by such Investor of its obligations hereunder and the consummation by such 6 Investor of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized and requires no other proceedings on the part of the Investor. The undersigned has the right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and all other instruments (including, without limitations, the Registration Rights Agreement), on behalf of the Investor. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Investor and, assuming the execution and delivery hereof and acceptance thereof by the Company, will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Investor, enforceable against the Investor in accordance with its terms. Section 3.2. Evaluation of Risks. The Investor has such knowledge and experience in financial, tax and business matters as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of, and bearing the economic risks entailed by, an investment in the Company and of protecting its interests in connection with this transaction. It recognizes that its investment in the Company involves a high degree of risk. Section 3.3. No Legal Advice From the Company. The Investor acknowledges that it had the opportunity to review this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement with his or its own legal counsel and investment and tax advisors. The Investor is relying solely on such counsel and advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its representatives or agents for legal, tax or investment advice with respect to this investment, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the securities laws of any jurisdiction. Section 3.4. Investment Purpose. The securities are being purchased by the Investor for its own account, and for investment purposes. The Investor agrees not to assign or in any way transfer the Investor's rights to the securities or any interest therein and acknowledges that the Company will not recognize any purported assignment or transfer except in accordance with applicable Federal and state securities laws. No other person has or will have a direct or indirect beneficial interest in the securities. The Investor agrees not to sell, hypothecate or otherwise transfer the Investor's securities unless the securities are registered under Federal and applicable state securities laws or unless, in the opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company, an exemption from such laws is available. Section 3.5. Accredited Investor. The Investor is an "Accredited Investor" as that term is defined in Rule 501(a)(3) of Regulation D of the Securities Act. Section 3.6. Information. The Investor and its advisors (and its counsel), if any, have been furnished with all materials relating to the business, finances and operations of the Company and information it deemed material to making an informed investment decision. The Investor and its advisors, if any, have been afforded the opportunity to ask questions of the Company and its management. Neither such inquiries nor any other due diligence investigations conducted by such Investor or its advisors, if any, or its representatives shall modify, amend or affect the Investor's right to rely on the Company's representations and warranties contained in this Agreement. The Investor understands that its investment involves a high degree of risk. The Investor is in a position regarding the Company, which, based upon employment, family relationship or economic bargaining power, enabled and enables such Investor to obtain information from the Company in order to evaluate the merits and risks of this investment. The Investor has sought such accounting, legal and 7 tax advice, as it has considered necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to this transaction. Section 3.7. Receipt of Documents. The Investor and its counsel have received and read in their entirety: (i) this Agreement and the Exhibits annexed hereto; (ii) all due diligence and other information necessary to verify the accuracy and completeness of such representations, warranties and covenants; (iii) the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 and Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2006; and (iv) answers to all questions the Investor submitted to the Company regarding an investment in the Company; and the Investor has relied on the information contained therein and has not been furnished any other documents, literature, memorandum or prospectus. Section 3.8. Registration Rights Agreement. The parties have entered into the Registration Rights Agreement dated the date hereof. Section 3.9. No General Solicitation. Neither the Company, nor any of its affiliates, nor any person acting on its or their behalf, has engaged in any form of general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D under the Securities Act) in connection with the offer or sale of the shares of Common Stock offered hereby. Section 3.10. Not an Affiliate. The Investor is not an officer, director or a person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by, or is under common control with the Company or any "Affiliate" of the Company (as that term is defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act). Section 3.11. Trading Activities. The Investor's trading activities with respect to the Company's Common Stock shall be in compliance with all applicable federal and state securities laws, rules and regulations and the rules and regulations of the Principal Market on which the Company's Common Stock is listed or traded. Neither the Investor nor its affiliates has an open short position in the Common Stock of the Company, the Investor agrees that it shall not, and that it will cause its affiliates not to, engage in any short sales of or hedging transactions with respect to the Common Stock during the term of this Agreement and for a period of ninety (90) days following the termination of this Agreement, provided that the Company acknowledges and agrees that upon receipt of an Advance Notice the Investor has the right to sell the shares to be issued to the Investor pursuant to the Advance Notice during the applicable Pricing Period. ARTICLE IV. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY Except as stated below, on the disclosure schedules attached hereto or in the SEC Documents (as defined herein), the Company hereby represents and warrants to, and covenants with, the Investor that the following are true and correct as of the date hereof: Section 4.1. Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of the subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization (as applicable), with the requisite power and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary is in violation or default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of 8 incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents. Each of the Company and the subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, could not have or reasonably be expected to result in Material Adverse Effect and no proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification. Section 4.2 Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by each of the Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of each of the Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, its Board of Directors or its stockholders in connection therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals. Each Transaction Document has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors' rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law. Section 4.3 No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents by the Company, the issuance and sale of the shares of Common Stock hereunder and the consummation by the Company of the other transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company's or any subsidiary's certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or a subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Section 4.4 Filings, Consents and Approvals. The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, 9 state, local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than (i) filings required pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, (ii) the filing with the Commission of the Registration Statement, (iii) application(s) to each applicable Principal Market for the listing of the Common Stock for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby, and (iv) the filing of Form D with the Commission and such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws (collectively, the "Required Approvals"). Section 4.5 Issuance of the Securities. The shares of Common Stock to be issued hereunder are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all liens imposed by the Company other than restrictions on transfer provided for in the Transaction Documents. Section 4.6 Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company is as set forth on Schedule 4.6. The Company has not issued any capital stock since its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act, other than pursuant to the exercise of stock options under the Company's stock option plans, the issuance of shares of Common Stock to employees pursuant to the Company's employee stock purchase plan and pursuant to the conversion or exercise of common stock equivalents outstanding as of the date of the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act. No Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Except as a result of the purchase and sale of the shares of Common Stock hereunder, there are no outstanding options, warrants, script rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any shares of Common Stock, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional shares of Common Stock or common stock equivalents. The issuance and sale of the shares of Common Stock hereunder will not obligate the Company to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities to any Person (other than the Investor) and will not result in a right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under any of such securities. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. No further approval or authorization of any stockholder, the Board of Directors of the Company or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Securities. There are no stockholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company's capital stock to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company's stockholders. Section 4.7 SEC Reports; Financial Statements. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file 10 such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, being collectively referred to herein as the "SEC Reports") on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved ("GAAP"), except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments. Section 4.8 Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, except as specifically disclosed in a subsequent SEC Report, (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had or that would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the Company has not incurred any liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than (A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (B) liabilities not required to be reflected in the Company's financial statements pursuant to GAAP or disclosed in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company has not altered its method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its stockholders or purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares of its capital stock and (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to any officer, director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company stock option plans. The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the issuance of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement or as set forth on Schedule 4.8, no event, liability or development has occurred or exists with respect to the Company or its subsidiaries or their respective business, properties, operations or financial condition, that would be required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable securities laws at the time this representation is made that has not been publicly disclosed at least one (1) Trading Day prior to the date that this representation is made. Section 4.9 Litigation. There is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company, any subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an "Action") which (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Common Stock or (ii) would, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or 11 reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary, nor any director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company. The Commission has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act. Section 4.10 Labor Relations. No material labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company's or its subsidiaries' employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee's relationship with the Company, and neither the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and its subsidiaries believe that their relationships with their employees are good. No executive officer, to the knowledge of the Company, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant, and the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters. The Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with all U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Section 4.11 Compliance. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary (i) is in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any subsidiary under), nor has the Company or any subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any order of any court, arbitrator or governmental body, or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws applicable to its business and all such laws that affect the environment, except in each case as would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Section 4.12 Regulatory Permits. The Company and the subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports, except where the failure to possess such permits would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect ("Material Permits"), and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material Permit. 12 Section 4.13 Title to Assets. The Company and the subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and the subsidiaries and good and marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and the subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, except for liens 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 the subsidiaries and liens for the payment of federal, state or other taxes, the payment of which is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and the subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and the subsidiaries are in compliance. Section 4.14 Patents and Trademarks. The Company and the subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or material for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports and which the failure to so have would have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the "Intellectual Property Rights"). Neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received a notice (written or otherwise) that the Intellectual Property Rights used by the Company or any subsidiary violates or infringes upon the rights of any Person. To the knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where failure to do so would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Section 4.15 Insurance. The Company and the subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the subsidiaries are engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage at least equal to the aggregate subscription Amount. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary 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 without a significant increase in cost. Section 4.16 Transactions With Affiliates and Employees. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, none of the officers or directors of the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any subsidiary (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee or partner, in each case in excess of $60,000 other than (i) for payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) for other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock option plan of the Company. 13 Section 4.17 Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal Accounting Controls. The Company is in material compliance with all provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 which are applicable to it as of the Closing Date. The Company and the subsidiaries maintain 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 GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management's general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company has established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission's rules and forms. The Company's certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the Company's disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by the Company's most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act (such date, the "Evaluation Date"). The Company presented in its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no changes in the Company's internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Section 4.18 Private Placement. Assuming the accuracy of the Investors representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, no registration under the Securities Act is required for the offer and sale of the Common Stock by the Company to the Investors as contemplated hereby. The issuance and sale of the Common Stock hereunder does not contravene the rules and regulations of the Principal Market. Section 4.19 Investment Company. The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Securities, will not be or be an Affiliate of, an "investment company" within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become subject to the Investment Company Act. Section 4.20 Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Company's Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration. The Company has not, in the twelve (12) months preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Principal Market on which the Common Stock is or has been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Principal Market. The Company is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements. 14 Section 4.21 Tax Status. Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and each subsidiary has filed all necessary federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns and has paid or accrued all taxes shown as due thereon, and the Company has no knowledge of a tax deficiency which has been asserted or threatened against the Company or any subsidiary. Section 4.22 No General Solicitation. Neither the Company nor any person acting on behalf of the Company has offered or sold any of the Securities by any form of general solicitation or general advertising. The Company has offered the Securities for sale only to the Purchasers and certain other "accredited investors" within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act. Section 4.23 Organization and Qualification. The Company is duly incorporated or organized and validly existing in the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization and has all requisite corporate power to own its properties and to carry on its business as now being conducted. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to do business and is in good standing in every jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted by it makes such qualification necessary, 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. Section 4.24 Use of Proceeds. The Company shall use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, including, without limitation, the payment of loans incurred by the Company. However, in no event shall the Company use the net proceeds from this offering for the payment (or loan to any such person for the payment) of any judgment, or other liability, incurred by any executive officer, officer, director or employee of the Company, except for any liability owed to such person for services rendered, or if any judgment or other liability is incurred by such person originating from services rendered to the Company, or the Company has indemnified such person from liability. Section 4.25 Further Representation and Warranties of the Company. For so long as any securities issuable hereunder held by the Investor remain outstanding, the Company acknowledges, represents, warrants and agrees that it will maintain the listing of its Common Stock on the Principal Market. Section 4.26 Opinion of Counsel. Investor shall receive an opinion letter from counsel to the Company substantially in the form attached hereto. Section 4.27 Opinion of Counsel. The Company will obtain for the Investor, at the Company's expense, any and all opinions of counsel which may be reasonably required in order to sell the securities issuable hereunder without restriction. Section 4.28 Dilution. The Company is aware and acknowledges that issuance of shares of the Company's Common Stock could cause dilution to existing shareholders and could significantly increase the outstanding number of shares of Common Stock. 15 Section 4.29. Acknowledgement. The Company is aware and acknowledges that it may not be able to request Advances under this Agreement if it can not obtain an effective Registration Statement or if any issuances of Common Stock pursuant to any Advances would violate any rules of the Principal Market. The Company further is aware and acknowledges that any fees paid pursuant to Section 12.4(a)(i) and 12.4(b) hereunder or shares issued pursuant to Section 12.4(c)(ii) hereunder shall be earned on the date hereof and not refundable or returnable under any circumstances. ARTICLE V. INDEMNIFICATION The Investor and the Company represent to the other the following with respect to itself: Section 5.1. Indemnification. (a) In consideration of the Investor's execution and delivery of this Agreement, and in addition to all of the Company's other obligations under this Agreement, the Company shall defend, protect, indemnify and hold harmless the Investor, and all of its officers, directors, partners, employees and agents (including, without limitation, those retained in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement) (collectively, the "Investor Indemnitees") from and against any and all actions, causes of action, suits, claims, losses, costs, penalties, fees, liabilities and damages, and expenses in connection therewith (irrespective of whether any such Investor Indemnitee is a party to the action for which indemnification hereunder is sought), and including reasonable attorneys' fees and disbursements (the "Indemnified Liabilities"), incurred by the Investor Indemnitees or any of them as a result of, or arising out of, or relating to (a) any misrepresentation or breach of any representation or warranty made by the Company in this Agreement or the Registration Rights Agreement or any other certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby, (b) any breach of any covenant, agreement or obligation of the Company contained in this Agreement or the Registration Rights Agreement or any other certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby, or (c) any cause of action, suit or claim brought or made against such Investor Indemnitee not arising out of any action or inaction of an Investor Indemnitee, and arising out of or resulting from the execution, delivery, performance or enforcement of this Agreement or any other instrument, document or agreement executed pursuant hereto by any of the Investor Indemnitees. To the extent that the foregoing undertaking by the Company may be unenforceable for any reason, the Company shall make the maximum contribution to the payment and satisfaction of each of the Indemnified Liabilities, which is permissible under applicable law. (b) In consideration of the Company's execution and delivery of this Agreement, and in addition to all of the Investor's other obligations under this Agreement, the Investor shall defend, protect, indemnify and hold harmless the Company and all of its officers, directors, shareholders, employees and agents (including, without limitation, those retained in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement) (collectively, the "Company Indemnitees") from and against any and all Indemnified Liabilities incurred by the Company Indemnitees or any of them as a result of, or arising out of, or relating to (a) any misrepresentation or breach of any representation or warranty made by the Investor in this Agreement, the Registration Rights 16 Agreement, or any instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby executed by the Investor, (b) any breach of any covenant, agreement or obligation of the Investor(s) contained in this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement or any other certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby executed by the Investor, or (c) any cause of action, suit or claim brought or made against such Company Indemnitee based on misrepresentations or due to a breach by the Investor and arising out of or resulting from the execution, delivery, performance or enforcement of this Agreement or any other instrument, document or agreement executed pursuant hereto by any of the Company Indemnitees. To the extent that the foregoing undertaking by the Investor may be unenforceable for any reason, the Investor shall make the maximum contribution to the payment and satisfaction of each of the Indemnified Liabilities, which is permissible under applicable law. (c) The obligations of the parties to indemnify or make contribution under this Section 5.1 shall survive termination. ARTICLE VI. COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY Section 6.1. Registration Rights. The Company shall cause the Registration Rights Agreement to remain in full force and effect and the Company shall comply in all material respects with the terms thereof. Section 6.2. Listing of Common Stock. The Company shall maintain the Common Stock's authorization for quotation on the Principal Market. Section 6.3. Exchange Act Registration. The Company will cause its Common Stock to continue to be registered under the Exchange Act, will file in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of it as a reporting company under the Exchange Act and will not take any action or file any document (whether or not permitted by Exchange Act or the rules thereunder) to terminate or suspend such registration or to terminate or suspend its reporting and filing obligations under said Exchange Act. Section 6.4. Transfer Agent Instructions. Upon effectiveness of the Registration Statement the Company shall deliver instructions to its transfer agent to issue shares of Common Stock to the Investor free of restrictive legends on or before each Advance Date. Section 6.5. Corporate Existence. The Company will take all steps necessary to preserve and continue the corporate existence of the Company. Section 6.6. Notice of Certain Events Affecting Registration; Suspension of Right to Make an Advance. The Company will immediately notify the Investor upon its becoming aware of the occurrence of any of the following events in respect of a registration statement or related prospectus relating to an offering of Registrable Securities: (i) receipt of any request for additional information by the SEC or any other Federal or state governmental authority during the period of effectiveness of the Registration Statement for amendments or supplements to the registration statement or related prospectus; (ii) the issuance by the SEC or any other Federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose; (iii) receipt of any 17 notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; (iv) the happening of any event that makes any statement made in the Registration Statement or related prospectus of any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, related prospectus or documents so that, in the case of the Registration Statement, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and that in the case of the related prospectus, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and (v) the Company's reasonable determination that a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement would be appropriate; and the Company will promptly make available to the Investor any such supplement or amendment to the related prospectus. The Company shall not deliver to the Investor any Advance Notice during the continuation of any of the foregoing events. Section 6.7. RESERVED. Section 6.8. Consolidation; Merger. The Company shall not, at any time after the date hereof, effect any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into, or a transfer of all or substantially all the assets of the Company to another entity (a "Consolidation Event") unless the resulting successor or acquiring entity (if not the Company) assumes by written instrument the obligation to deliver to the Investor such shares of stock and/or securities as the Investor is entitled to receive pursuant to this Agreement. Section 6.9. Issuance of the Company's Common Stock. The sale of the shares of Common Stock shall be made in accordance with the provisions and requirements of Regulation D and any applicable state securities law. Section 6.10. Review of Public Disclosures. All SEC filings (including, without limitation, all filings required under the Exchange Act and other public disclosures made by the Company, including, without limitation, all press releases, investor relations materials, and scripts of analysts meetings and calls, shall be reviewed and approved for release by the Company's attorneys and, if containing financial information, the Company's independent certified public accountants. Section 6.11. Market Activities. The Company will not, directly or indirectly, (i) take any action designed to cause or result in, or that constitutes or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Common Stock or (ii) sell, bid for or purchase the Common Stock, or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Common Stock. 18 ARTICLE VII. CONDITIONS FOR ADVANCE AND CONDITIONS TO CLOSING Section 7.1. Conditions Precedent to the Obligations of the Company. The obligation hereunder of the Company to issue and sell the shares of Common Stock to the Investor incident to each Closing is subject to the satisfaction, or waiver by the Company, at or before each such Closing, of each of the conditions set forth below. (a) Accuracy of the Investor's Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Investor shall be true and correct in all material respects. (b) Performance by the Investor. The Investor shall have performed, satisfied and complied in all respects with all covenants, agreements and conditions required by this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the Investor at or prior to such Closing. Section 7.2. Conditions Precedent to the Right of the Company to Deliver an Advance Notice. The right of the Company to deliver an Advance Notice is subject to the fulfillment by the Company, on such Advance Notice (a "Condition Satisfaction Date"), of each of the following conditions: (a) Registration of the Common Stock with the SEC. The Company shall have filed with the SEC a Registration Statement with respect to the resale of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement. As set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement, the Registration Statement shall have previously become effective and shall remain effective on each Condition Satisfaction Date and (i) neither the Company nor the Investor shall have received notice that the SEC has issued or intends to issue a stop order with respect to the Registration Statement or that the SEC otherwise has suspended or withdrawn the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, either temporarily or permanently, or intends or has threatened to do so (unless the SEC's concerns have been addressed and the Investor is reasonably satisfied that the SEC no longer is considering or intends to take such action), and (ii) no other suspension of the use or withdrawal of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or related prospectus shall exist. The Registration Statement must have been declared effective by the SEC prior to the first Advance Notice Date. (b) Authority. The Company shall have obtained all permits and qualifications required by any applicable state in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement for the offer and sale of the shares of Common Stock, or shall have the availability of exemptions therefrom. The sale and issuance of the shares of Common Stock shall be legally permitted by all laws and regulations to which the Company is subject. (c) Fundamental Changes. There shall not exist any fundamental changes to the information set forth in the Registration Statement which would require the Company to file a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement. (d) Performance by the Company. The Company shall have performed, satisfied and complied in all material respects with all covenants, 19 agreements and conditions required by this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the Company at or prior to each Condition Satisfaction Date. (e) No Injunction. No statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by any court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction that prohibits or directly and adversely affects any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and no proceeding shall have been commenced that may have the effect of prohibiting or adversely affecting any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. (f) No Suspension of Trading in or Delisting of Common Stock. The trading of the Common Stock is not suspended by the SEC or the Principal Market (if the Common Stock is traded on a Principal Market). The issuance of shares of Common Stock with respect to the applicable Closing, if any, shall not violate the shareholder approval requirements of the Principal Market (if the Common Stock is traded on a Principal Market). The Company shall not have received any notice threatening the continued listing of the Common Stock on the Principal Market (if the Common Stock is traded on a Principal Market). (g) Maximum Advance Amount. The amount of an Advance requested by the Company shall not exceed the Maximum Advance Amount. In addition, in no event shall the number of shares issuable to the Investor pursuant to an Advance cause the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Investor and its affiliates to exceed nine and 9/10 percent (9.9%) of the then outstanding Common Stock of the Company. For the purposes of this section beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act. (h) No Knowledge. The Company has no knowledge of any event which would be more likely than not to have the effect of causing such Registration Statement to be suspended or otherwise ineffective. (i) Executed Advance Notice. The Investor shall have received the Advance Notice executed by an officer of the Company and the representations contained in such Advance Notice shall be true and correct as of each Condition Satisfaction Date. ARTICLE VIII. DUE DILIGENCE REVIEW; NON-DISCLOSURE OF NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION Section 8.1. Non-Disclosure of Non-Public Information. (a) The Company covenants and agrees that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf will provide the Investor or its agents or counsel with any information that the Company believes constitutes material non-public information, unless prior thereto the Company identifies such information as being material non-public information and provides member of the legal and compliance department of the Investor with the opportunity to accept or refuse to accept such material non-public information for review. The Company acknowledges that only members of the legal and compliance department of the Investor have the authority to accept the receipt of material non-public information from the Company. The Company acknowledges that any information provided to the Investor without first being accepted by a member of the legal 20 and compliance department of the Investor will be deemed not to be material non-public information and the Investor shall be under no duty to maintain the confidentiality of such information. The Company understands and confirms that the Investor shall be relying on the foregoing representations in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. The Company shall be entitled to rely on the representations of any member of the Investor as to whether such person is a member of the legal and compliance department of the Investor. (b) Nothing herein shall require the Company to disclose non-public information to the Investor or its advisors or representatives, and the Company represents that it does not disseminate non-public information to any investors who purchase stock in the Company in a public offering, to money managers or to securities analysts, provided, however, that notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company will, as hereinabove provided, immediately notify the advisors and representatives of the Investor and, if any, underwriters, of any event or the existence of any circumstance (without any obligation to disclose the specific event or circumstance) of which it becomes aware, constituting non-public information (whether or not requested of the Company specifically or generally during the course of due diligence by such persons or entities), which, if not disclosed in the prospectus included in the Registration Statement would cause such prospectus to include a material misstatement or to omit a material fact required to be stated therein in order to make the statements, therein, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading. Nothing contained in this Section 8.2 shall be construed to mean that such persons or entities other than the Investor (without the written consent of the Investor prior to disclosure of such information) may not obtain non-public information in the course of conducting due diligence in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and nothing herein shall prevent any such persons or entities from notifying the Company of their opinion that based on such due diligence by such persons or entities, that the Registration Statement contains an untrue statement of material fact or omits a material fact required to be stated in the Registration Statement or necessary to make the statements contained therein, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading. ARTICLE IX. CHOICE OF LAW/JURISDICTION Section 9.1. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to the principles of conflict of laws. The parties further agree that any action between them shall be heard in New York County, New York, and expressly consent to the jurisdiction and venue of the Supreme Court of New York, sitting in New York County, New York and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, sitting in New York, New York, for the adjudication of any civil action asserted pursuant to this paragraph. ARTICLE X. ASSIGNMENT; TERMINATION Section 10.1. Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any rights of the Company hereunder may be assigned to any other Person. 21 Section 10.2. Termination. (a) The obligations of the Investor to make Advances under Article II hereof shall terminate thirty-six (36) months after the Effective Date. (b) The obligation of the Investor to make an Advance to the Company pursuant to this Agreement shall terminate permanently (including with respect to an Advance Date that has not yet occurred) in the event that (i) there shall occur any stop order or suspension of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement for an aggregate of fifty (50) Trading Days, other than due to the acts of the Investor, during the Commitment Period, or (ii) the Company shall at any time fail materially to comply with the requirements of Article VI and such failure is not cured within thirty (30) days after receipt of written notice from the Investor, provided, however, that this termination provision shall not apply to any period commencing upon the filing of a post-effective amendment to such Registration Statement and ending upon the date on which such post effective amendment is declared effective by the SEC. ARTICLE XI. NOTICES Section 11.1. Notices. Any notices, consents, waivers, or other communications required or permitted to be given under the terms of this Agreement must be in writing and will be deemed to have been delivered (i) upon receipt, when delivered personally; (ii) upon receipt, when sent by facsimile, provided a copy is mailed by U.S. certified mail, return receipt requested; (iii) three (3) days after being sent by U.S. certified mail, return receipt requested, or (iv) one (1) day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight delivery service, in each case properly addressed to the party to receive the same. The addresses and facsimile numbers for such communications shall be: If to the Company, to: EpiCept Corporation 777 Old Saw Mill River Road Tarrytown, NY 10591 Fax: (914) 606-3501 With a copy to: Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP 767 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10153 Attention: Alexander D. Lynch, Esq. Fax: (212) 310-8007 22 If to the Investor(s): Cornell Capital Partners, LP 101 Hudson Street -Suite 3700 Jersey City, NJ 07302 Attention: Mark Angelo Portfolio Manager Telephone: (201) 985-8300 Facsimile: (201) 985-8266 With a Copy to: David Gonzalez, Esq. 101 Hudson Street - Suite 3700 Jersey City, NJ 07302 Telephone: (201) 985-8300 Facsimile: (201) 985-8266 Each party shall provide five (5) days' prior written notice to the other party of any change in address or facsimile number. ARTICLE XII. MISCELLANEOUS Section 12.1. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more identical counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party. In the event any signature page is delivered by facsimile transmission, the party using such means of delivery shall cause four (4) additional original executed signature pages to be physically delivered to the other party within five (5) days of the execution and delivery hereof, though failure to deliver such copies shall not affect the validity of this Agreement. Section 12.2. Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement supersedes all other prior oral or written agreements between the Investor, the Company, their affiliates and persons acting on their behalf with respect to the matters discussed herein, and this Agreement and the instruments referenced herein contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the matters covered herein and therein and, except as specifically set forth herein or therein, neither the Company nor the Investor makes any representation, warranty, covenant or undertaking with respect to such matters. No provision of this Agreement may be waived or amended other than by an instrument in writing signed by the party to be charged with enforcement. Section 12.3. Reporting Entity for the Common Stock. The reporting entity relied upon for the determination of the trading price or trading volume of the Common Stock on any given Trading Day for the purposes of this Agreement shall be Bloomberg, L.P. or any successor thereto. The written mutual consent of the Investor and the Company shall be required to employ any other reporting entity. Section 12.4. Fees and Expenses. The Company hereby agrees to pay the following fees: 23 (a) Structuring Fees. Each of the parties shall pay its own fees and expenses (including the fees of any attorneys, accountants, appraisers or others engaged by such party) in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, except that (i) on the date hereof the Company shall pay a structuring fee of Twenty Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) to Yorkville Advisors, LLC and (ii) On each Advance Date, the Company shall pay Yorkville Advisors, LLC a structuring fee of Five Hundred Dollars ($500) directly out the gross proceeds of each Advance. (b) Due Diligence Fee. Company shall pay the Investor a non-refundable due diligence fee of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000) on the date hereof. (c) Commitment Fees. (i) On each Advance Date the Company shall pay to the Investor, directly out of the gross proceeds of each Advance, an amount equal to three percent (3%) of the amount of each Advance. The Company hereby agrees that if such payment, as is described above, is not made by the Company on the Advance Date, such payment shall be made as outlined and mandated by Section 2.3 of this Agreement. (ii) Upon the execution of this Agreement the Company shall pay to the Investor a commitment fee of $450,000. Section 12.5. Brokerage. Each of the parties hereto represents that it has had no dealings in connection with this transaction with any finder or broker who will demand payment of any fee or commission from the other party. The Company on the one hand, and the Investor, on the other hand, agree to indemnify the other against and hold the other harmless from any and all liabilities to any person claiming brokerage commissions or finder's fees on account of services purported to have been rendered on behalf of the indemnifying party in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. Section 12.6. Confidentiality. If for any reason the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are not consummated, each of the parties hereto shall keep confidential any information obtained from any other party (except information publicly available or in such party's domain prior to the date hereof, and except as required by court order) and shall promptly return to the other parties all schedules, documents, instruments, work papers or other written information without retaining copies thereof, previously furnished by it as a result of this Agreement or in connection herein. [REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK] 24 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Standby Equity Distribution Agreement to be executed by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, as of the date first set forth above. COMPANY: EPICEPT CORPORATION By: /s/ John V. Talley ----------------------------------------- Name: John V. Talley Title: President and Chief Executive Officer INVESTOR: CORNELL CAPITAL PARTNERS, LP BY: YORKVILLE ADVISORS, LLC ITS: GENERAL PARTNER By: /s/ Mark Angelo ----------------------------------------- Name: Mark Angelo Title: Portfolio Manager 25 EXHIBIT A ADVANCE NOTICE EPICEPT CORPORATION The undersigned, _______________________ hereby certifies, with respect to the sale of shares of Common Stock of EPICEPT CORPORATION (the "Company") issuable in connection with this Advance Notice, delivered pursuant to the Standby Equity Distribution Agreement (the "Agreement"), as follows: 1. The undersigned is the duly elected ______________ of the Company. 2. There are no fundamental changes to the information set forth in the Registration Statement which would require the Company to file a post effective amendment to the Registration Statement. 3. The Company has performed in all material respects all covenants and agreements to be performed by the Company and has complied in all material respects with all obligations and conditions contained in the Agreement on or prior to the Advance Notice Date, and shall continue to perform in all material respects all covenants and agreements to be performed by the Company through the applicable Advance Date. All conditions to the delivery of this Advance Notice are satisfied as of the date hereof. 4. The undersigned hereby represents, warrants and covenants that it has made all filings ("SEC Filings") required to be made by it pursuant to applicable securities laws (including, without limitation, all filings required under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which include Forms 10-Q or 10-QSB, 10-K or 10-KSB, 8-K, etc.). All SEC Filings and other public disclosures made by the Company, including, without limitation, all press releases, analysts meetings and calls, etc. (collectively, the "Public Disclosures"), have been reviewed and approved for release by the Company's attorneys and, if containing financial information, the Company's independent certified public accountants. None of the Company's Public Disclosures contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. 5. The Advance requested is _____________________. The undersigned has executed this Certificate this ___ day of ________. EPICEPT CORPORATION By: ---------------------------------- Name: Title: If Returning This Advance Notice via Facsimile Please Send To: (201) 946-0851 If by Mail, via Federal Express To: Cornell Capital Partners, LP 101 Hudson Street, Suite 3700, Jersey City, NJ 07302