EX-10 5 exh_43.htm EXHIBIT 4.3
Exhibit 4.3
 
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
 
THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is made effective as of April 2, 2010, by and between Bill the Butcher, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”) and Montage Venture Group LLC, a Texas limited liability company (“Investor”).
 
RECITALS
 
WHEREAS, the Company and Investor have entered into a consulting agreement, dated April 2, 2010, pursuant to which Investor will provide financial and strategic business consulting services to the Company; and
 
WHEREAS, as partial consideration for entering into the consulting agreement and providing the services to the Company contemplated therein, the Company has issued to Investor a warrant to purchase 1,750,000 shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock (the “Warrant Shares”); and
 
WHEREAS, the Company has agreed to provide Investor with certain registration rights with respect to the Warrant Shares;
 
AGREEMENT
 
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereby agree as follows:
 
1.           Registration Rights.  The Company covenants and agrees as follows:
 
           1.1           Definitions.  For purposes of this Agreement:
 
(a)           The term “Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
 
(b)           The term “Holder” means the Investor and any other person owning or having the right to acquire Registrable Securities, or any assignee thereof in accordance with Section 1.8 hereof.
 
(c)           The term “register,” “registered,” and “registration” refer to a registration effected by preparing and filing a registration statement or similar document in compliance with the Act, and the declaration or ordering of effectiveness of such registration statement or document.
 
(d)           The term “Registrable Securities” means (i) the Warrant Shares, and (ii) any capital stock of the Company issued as (or issuable upon the conversion or exercise of any warrant, right or other security which is issued as) a dividend or other distribution with respect to, or in exchange for or in replacement of the Warrant Shares, excluding in all cases, however, any Registrable Securities sold by a person in a transaction in which its rights under this Section 1 are not assigned.
 
(e)           The term “SEC” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.
 
(f)           The term “1934 Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
 
           1.2           Company Registration
 
(a)           If (but without any obligation to do so) the Company proposes to register (including for this purpose a registration effected by the Company for shareholders other than the Holders) any of its stock or other securities under the Act in connection with the public offering of such securities (other than a registration relating solely to the sale of securities to participants in a Company stock plan, a registration relating to corporate reorganization or other transaction
 

 
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under Rule 145 of the Act, a registration on any form which does not include substantially the same information as would be required to be included in a registration statement covering the sale of the Registrable Securities, or a registration in which the only Common Stock being registered is Common Stock issuable upon conversion of debt securities which are also being registered), the Company shall, at such time, promptly give each Holder written notice of such registration.  Upon the written request of each Holder given within thirty (30) days after mailing of such notice by the Company in accordance with Section 2.5, the Company shall, subject to the provisions of Section 1.2(c), use all reasonable efforts to cause to be registered under the Act all of the Registrable Securities that each such Holder has requested to be registered.  If a Holder decides not to include all of its Registrable Securities in any registration statement thereafter filed by the Company, such Holder shall nevertheless continue to have the right to include any Registrable Securities in any subsequent registration statement or registration statements as may be filed by the Company with respect to offerings of its securities, all upon the terms and conditions set forth herein.
 
(b)           The Company shall have the right to terminate or withdraw any registration initiated by it under this Section 1.2 prior to the effectiveness of such registration whether or not any Holder has elected to include securities in such registration.  The expenses of such withdrawn registration shall be borne by the Company in accordance with Section 1.5 hereof.
 
(c)           If the registration for which the Company gives notice is for a registered public offering involving an underwriting, the Company shall so advise the Holders as a part of the written notice given pursuant to Section 1.2(a)(i), and the right of any Holder to include its Registrable Securities in such registration in accordance with this Section 1.2(a) shall be conditioned upon the terms and conditions provided herein.
 
All Holders that propose to distribute their Registrable Securities through such underwriting shall (together with the Company and the other shareholders distributing their securities through such underwriting) enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the underwriter or underwriters selected for such underwriting by the Company.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 1.2 to the contrary (except for the last sentence of this paragraph), if the underwriter or the Company determines that marketing factors require a limitation of the number of securities to be underwritten, the underwriter may exclude some or all of the Registrable Securities from such registration and underwriting.  In the event the number of Registrable Securities to be registered is limited in accordance with the provisions of this Section 1.2, the Company shall so advise all Holders (except those Holders who have indicated to the Company their decision not to distribute any of their Registrable Securities through such underwriting), and the number of shares of the Registrable Securities that may be included in the registration and underwriting shall be allocated among such Holders in proportion, as nearly as practicable, to the respective numbers of the Registrable Securities owned by the Investors at the time of filing of the registration statement.  No Registrable Securities excluded from the underwriting by reason of the underwriter’s marketing limitation shall be included in such registration.
 
If any Holder disapproves of the terms of any such underwriting, such Holder may elect to withdraw therefrom by written notice to the Company and the underwriter.  Any Registrable Securities so withdrawn from such underwriting shall also be withdrawn from such registration; provided, however, that if by the withdrawal of such Registrable Securities, a greater number of Registrable Securities held by other Holders may be included in such registration (up to the maximum of any limitation imposed by the underwriter), the Company shall offer to any Holders who have included Registrable Securities in the registration the right to include additional Registrable Securities in the same proportions used above in determining the underwriter’s limitation.
 
           1.3           Obligations of the Company. Whenever required under this Section 1 to effect the registration of any Registrable Securities, the Company shall, as expeditiously as reasonably possible:
 
(a)           prepare and file with the SEC a registration statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use best efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective, and, upon the request of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities registered thereunder, keep such registration statement effective for a period of up to
 

 
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one hundred twenty (120) days or, if earlier, until the distribution contemplated in the Registration Statement has been completed;
 
(b)           prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and supplements to such registration statement and the prospectus used in connection with such registration statement as may be necessary to comply with the provisions of the Act with respect to the disposition of all securities covered by such registration statement;
 
(c)           furnish to the Holders such numbers of copies of a prospectus, including a preliminary prospectus, in conformity with the requirements of the Act, and such other documents as they may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of Registrable Securities owned by them;
 
(d)           use best efforts to register and qualify the securities covered by such registration statement under such other securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as shall be reasonably requested by the Holders; provided that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith or as a condition thereto to qualify to do business or to file a general consent to service of process in any such states or jurisdictions;
 
(e)           in the event of any underwritten public offering, enter into and perform its obligations under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, with the managing underwriter of such offering;
 
(f)           notify each Holder of Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement at any time when a prospectus relating thereto is required to be delivered under the Act of the happening of any event as a result of which the prospectus included in such registration statement, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances then existing;
 
(g)           cause all such Registrable Securities registered pursuant hereunder to be listed on each securities exchange on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed;
 
(h)           provide a transfer agent and registrar for all Registrable Securities registered pursuant hereunder and a CUSIP number for all such Registrable Securities, in each case not later than the effective date of such registration; and
 
(i)           use its best efforts to furnish, on the date that such Registrable Securities are delivered to the underwriters for sale, if such securities are being sold through underwriters, (i) an opinion, dated as of such date, of the counsel representing the Company for the purposes of such registration, in form and substance as is customarily given to underwriters in an underwritten public offering, addressed to the underwriters, if any, and (ii) a letter dated as of such date, from the independent certified public accountants of the Company, in form and substance as is customarily given by independent certified public accountants to underwriters in an underwritten public offering addressed to the underwriters.
 
           1.4           Information from Holder.  It shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of the Company to take any action pursuant to this Section 1 with respect to the Registrable Securities of any selling Holder that such Holder shall furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it, and the intended method of disposition of such securities as shall be required to effect the registration of such Holder’s Registrable Securities.
 
           1.5           Expenses of Registration.  All expenses (other than underwriting discounts and commissions, and fees of counsel to the selling Holders) incurred in connection with registrations, filings or qualifications pursuant to Section 1.2, including (without limitation) all registration, filing and qualification fees, printers’ and accounting fees, fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company shall be borne by the Company.
 
           1.6           Delay of Registration.  No Holder shall have any right to obtain or seek an injunction restraining or otherwise delaying any such registration as the result of any controversy that might arise with respect to the interpretation or implementation of this Section 1.
 

 
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           1.7           Indemnification.  In the event any Registrable Securities are included in a registration statement under this Section 1:
 
(a)           To the extent permitted by law, the Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Holder, the partners, members and managers, or officers, directors and shareholders of each Holder, legal counsel and accountants for each Holder, any underwriter (as defined in the Act) for such Holder and each person, if any, who controls such Holder or underwriter within the meaning of the Act or the 1934 Act, against any losses, claims, damages, or liabilities (joint or several) to which they may become subject under the Act, the 1934 Act or any state securities laws, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any of the following statements, omissions or violations (collectively a “Violation”):  (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in such registration statement, including any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus contained therein or any amendments or supplements thereto, and any issuer free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 433 of the Act) relating to Registrable Securities being offered in such registration statement that (x) is required to be filed with the SEC by the Company or (y) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Registrable Securities or the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the SEC or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s record pursuant to Rule 433(g); (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein, or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (iii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the Act, the 1934 Act, any state securities laws or any rule or regulation promulgated under the Act, the 1934 Act or any state securities laws; and the Company will reimburse each such Holder, underwriter or controlling person for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability, or action; provided, however, that the indemnity agreement contained in this subsection 1.7(a) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such loss, claim, damage, liability, or action if such settlement is effected without the consent of the Company (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), nor shall the Company be liable in any such case for any such loss, claim, damage, liability, or action to the extent that it arises out of or is based upon a Violation which occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished expressly for use in connection with such registration by any such Holder, underwriter or controlling person; provided further, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement with respect to any preliminary prospectus shall not inure to the benefit of any Holder or underwriter, or any person controlling such Holder or underwriter, from whom the person asserting any such losses, claims, damages or liabilities purchased shares in the offering (the “Shares”), if a copy of the prospectus (as then amended or supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto), or an issuer free writing prospectus, was not sent or given by or on behalf of such Holder or underwriter to such person, if required by law so to have been delivered, at or prior to the time of sale of the Shares to such person, and if the prospectus (as so amended or supplemented), or the issuer free writing prospectus, would have cured the defect giving rise to such loss, claim, damage or liability.
 
(b)           To the extent permitted by law, each selling Holder will indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who has signed the registration statement, each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act, legal counsel and accountants for the Company, any underwriter, any other Holder selling securities in such registration statement and any controlling person of any such underwriter or other Holder, against any losses, claims, damages, or liabilities (joint or several) to which any of the foregoing persons may become subject, under the Act, the 1934 Act or any state securities laws, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, or liabilities (or actions in respect thereto) arise out of or are based upon any Violation, in each case to the extent (and only to the extent) that such Violation occurs (i) in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished by such Holder expressly for use in connection with such registration, or (ii) as a result of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in a free writing prospectus used by any selling Holder without the express consent of the Company; and each such Holder will reimburse any person intended to be indemnified pursuant to this subsection 1.7(b), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability, or action; provided, however, that the indemnity agreement contained in this subsection 1.7(b) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action if such settlement is effected without the consent of the
 

 
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Holder (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld); provided further, that in no event shall any indemnity under this subsection 1.7(b) exceed the net proceeds from the offering being received by such Holder.
 
(c)           Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 1.7 of notice of the commencement of any action (including any governmental action), such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying party under this Section 1.7, deliver to the indemnifying party a written notice of the commencement thereof and the indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in, and, to the extent the indemnifying party so desires, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly noticed, to assume the defense thereof with counsel mutually satisfactory to the parties; provided, however, that an indemnified party (together with all other indemnified parties which may be represented without conflict by one counsel) shall have the right to retain one separate counsel, with the fees and expenses to be paid by the indemnifying party, if representation of such indemnified party by the counsel retained by the indemnifying party would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between such indemnified party and any other party represented by such counsel in such proceeding.  The failure to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action, if prejudicial to its ability to defend such action, shall relieve such indemnifying party of any liability to the indemnified party under this Section 1.7, but the omission so to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party will not relieve it of any liability that it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 1.7.
 
(d)           If the indemnification provided for in this Section 1.7 is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unavailable to an indemnified party with respect to any loss, liability, claim, damage, or expense referred to therein, then the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party hereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, liability, claim, damage, or expense in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party on the one hand and of the indemnified party on the other in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such loss, liability, claim, damage, or expense as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative fault of the indemnifying party and of the indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the indemnifying party or by the indemnified party and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information, and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission; provided, however, that in no event shall any indemnity under this subsection 1.7(b) exceed the net proceeds from the offering being received by such Holder.
 
(e)           Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that the provisions on indemnification and contribution contained in the underwriting agreement entered into in connection with the underwritten public offering are in conflict with the foregoing provisions, the provisions in the underwriting agreement shall control.
 
(f)           The obligations of the Company and Holders under this Section 1.7 shall survive the completion of any offering of Registrable Securities in a registration statement under this Section 1, and otherwise.  No indemnifying party, in the defense of any such claim or litigation, shall, except with the consent of each indemnified party, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement that does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation.
 
           1.8           Assignment of Registration Rights.  The rights to cause the Company to register Registrable Securities pursuant to this Section 1 may be assigned (but only with all related obligations) by a Holder to a transferee or assignee of such securities, which (i) is a subsidiary, parent, partner, limited partner, retired partner, member, affiliate or shareholder of a Holder or a trust established by a Holder, (ii) is a Holder’s family member or trust for the benefit of an individual Holder, or (iii) after such assignment or transfer, holds at least ten percent (10%) of Registrable Securities originally purchased by such Holder from the Company, provided:  (a) the Company is, within a reasonable time after such transfer, furnished with written notice of the name and address of such transferee or assignee and the securities with respect to which such registration rights are being assigned; (b) such transferee or assignee agrees in writing to be bound by and subject to the terms and conditions of
 

 
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this Agreement; and (c) such assignment shall be effective only if immediately following such transfer the further disposition of such securities by the transferee or assignee is restricted under the Act.
 
           1.9           Termination of Registration Rights.  No Holder shall be entitled to exercise any right provided for in this Section 1 at such time as all Registrable Securities held by such Holder (and any affiliate of the Holder with whom such Holder must aggregate its sales under Rule 144) can be sold in any three month period without registration in compliance with Rule 144 of the Act.
 
2.           General Provisions
 
2.1           Successors and Assigns. Except as otherwise provided herein, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective successors and assigns of the parties (including transferees of any shares of Registrable Securities).  Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and assigns any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement.
 
           2.2           Governing Law; Consent to Jurisdiction.  This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Washington, except with regard to its conflicts of law principles.  The parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submit in any legal action or proceeding relating to this Agreement to the non-exclusive general jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Washington located in King County and the courts of the United States located in the Western District of Washington and, in any such action or proceeding, consent to jurisdiction in such courts and waive any objection to the venue in any such court.
 
           2.3           Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
 
           2.4           Titles and Subtitles.  The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are used for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement.
 
           2.5           Notices. All notices, demands, requests or other communications which may be or are required to be given, served or sent by any party to any other party pursuant to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be hand delivered, faxed, sent by overnight courier or mailed by first-class, registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:
 
(i)           If to the Company:
 
Bill the Butcher, Inc.
 
424 Queen Anne Avenue No. Suite 400
 
Seattle, WA 98109
 
Facsimile No.: (206) ___________________
 
Attention: President
 
with a copy to:
 
Stoel Rives LLP
 
3600 One Union Square
 
600 University Street
 

 
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Seattle, WA 98101
 
Facsimile No: (206) 386-7500
 
Attention: Christopher J. Voss
 
(ii)           If to Investor:
 
Montage Venture Group LLC
 
3523 McKinney Avenue, No. 244
 
Dallas, TX  75204
 
Facsimile No.: (___) ___________________
 
Attention: Manager
 
Each party may designate by notice in writing (given in accordance with the terms hereof) a new address to which any notice, demand, request or communication may thereafter be so given, served or sent.  Each notice, demand, request or communication which shall be hand delivered, sent or mailed, in the manner described above, shall be deemed sufficiently given, served, sent, received or delivered for all purposes at such time as it is delivered to the addressee (with the return receipt, the delivery receipt or a facsimile confirmation being deemed conclusive, but not exclusive, evidence of such delivery) or at such time as delivery is refused by the addressee upon presentation.
 
           2.6           Fees and Expenses.  In the event that any suit or action is instituted to enforce any provision in this Agreement, the prevailing party in such dispute shall be entitled to recover from the losing party all fees, costs, and expenses of enforcing any right of such prevailing party under or with respect to this Agreement, including without limitation, such reasonable fees and expenses of attorneys and accountants, which shall include, without limitation, all fees, costs and expenses of appeals.
 
           2.7           Entire Agreement.  This Agreement (including the Exhibits and Schedules hereto) constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with regard to the subject hereof, and it supersedes all prior oral or written agreements, commitments or understandings with respect to the matters provided for herein.
 
2.8            Amendments and Waivers.  Any term of this Agreement may be amended and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance and either retroactively or prospectively), only with the written consent of the Company and the holders of seventy five percent (75%) of the Registrable Securities.  Any amendment or waiver effected in accordance with this Section 2.8 shall be binding upon each holder of any Registrable Securities each future holder of all such Registrable Securities, and the Company.  No delay or failure on the part of any party hereto in exercising any right, power or privilege under this Agreement shall impair any such right, power or privilege or be construed as a waiver of any default or any acquiescence therein.  No single or partial exercise of any such right, power or privilege shall preclude the further exercise of such right, power or privilege, or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.
 
           2.9           Severability.  If one or more provisions of this Agreement are held to be unenforceable under applicable law, such provision shall be excluded from this Agreement and the balance of the Agreement shall be interpreted as if such provision were so excluded and shall be enforceable in accordance with its terms.
 
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SIGNATURE PAGE
 
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been duly executed, effective as of the date hereinabove set forth.
 
 
COMPANY:
BILL THE BUTCHER, INC.
By:                                                      
     J’Amy Owens, Chief Executive Officer
 
 
INVESTOR:
 
MONTAGE VENTURE GROUP LLC

By: _________________________________

Lawrence Biggs
Its Manager
 

 
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