EX-2.1 2 ex_164443.htm EXHIBIT 2.1 hpe20191106b_s4_s88134.htm

Exhibit 2.1

 

Execution Version

 

 

BUSINESS COMBINATION AGREEMENT

 

by and among

 

PURE ACQUISITION CORP.,

 

HIGHPEAK ENERGY, INC.,

 

PURE ACQUISITION MERGER SUB, INC.,

 

HIGHPEAK ENERGY, LP,

 

HIGHPEAK ENERGY II, LP,

 

HIGHPEAK ENERGY III, LP,

 

HPK ENERGY, LLC,

 

and, solely for limited purposes specified herein,

 

HIGHPEAK ENERGY MANAGEMENT, LLC

 

Dated as of November 27, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Page

 

Article I CERTAIN DEFINITIONS

2

1.1

Certain Definitions

2

Article II MERGER

15

2.1

The Merger

15

2.2

Merger Effective Time

16

2.3

Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Surviving Corporation

16

2.4

Directors and Officers of the Surviving Corporation

16

2.5

Effect of the Merger

16

2.6

Effect of Merger on Capital Stock and Parent Warrants

16

2.7

Exchange of Securities

18

2.8

Taking of Necessary Action; Further Action

21

Article III THE BUSINESS COMBINATION

21

3.1

Contribution

21

3.2

Consideration Adjustment

22

3.3

Closing

26

3.4

Deliveries and Actions at Closing

26

3.5

Legend

28

Article IV REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES related to CONTRIBUTOR

29

4.1

Organization, Standing and Power

29

4.2

Authority; No Violations; Consents and Approvals

29

4.3

Governmental Consents

30

4.4

Ownership of the Transferred Interests

31

4.5

Brokers

31

4.6

Accredited Investor; Investment Intent

31

4.7

No Additional Representations

31

Article V REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES  related to the highpeak entities

32

5.1

Organization, Standing and Power

32

5.2

Capitalization

32

5.3

No Violations; Consents and Approvals

33

5.4

Governmental Consents

33

5.5

Financial Statements

34

5.6

Absence of Certain Changes or Events

34

5.7

No Undisclosed Material Liabilities

35

5.8

HighPeak Permits; Compliance with Applicable Law

35

5.9

Litigation

36

5.10

Compensation; Benefits

36

5.11

Labor Matters

37

 

i

 

 

5.12

Taxes

37

5.13

Oil and Gas Matters

39

5.14

Environmental Matters

41

5.15

Material Contracts

42

5.16

Insurance

44

5.17

Brokers

44

5.18

Information Supplied

45

Article VI REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF the COMPANY AND MERGER SUB

45

6.1

Organization, Standing and Power

45

6.2

Authority; No Violations; Consents and Approvals

45

6.3

Governmental Consents

46

6.4

Capitalization and Assets

47

6.5

Brokers

48

6.6

Accredited Investor; Investment Intent

48

6.7 Grenadier PSA 48

6.8

No Additional Representations

48

Article VII REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF parent

49

7.1

Organization, Standing and Power

49

7.2

Authority; No Violations; Consents and Approvals

49

7.3

Governmental Consents

50

7.4

Capitalization and Subsidiaries

50

7.5

Brokers

51

7.6

SEC Documents

52

7.7

No Indebtedness

53

7.8

Compliance with Laws

53

7.9

Litigation

53

7.10

Certain Contracts and Arrangements

53

7.11

Solvency

53

7.12

Board Approval; Vote Required

54

7.13

Listing

54

7.14

Trust Account

55

7.15

Information Supplied

55

7.16

Absence of Certain Changes or Events

55

7.17

Taxes

55

7.18

No Additional Representations

56

Article VIII COVENANTS AND AGREEMENTS

57

8.1

Conduct of HighPeak Business Pending the Closing

57

8.2

Conduct of the Parent Parties’ Businesses Pending the Closing

60

8.3

No Hindrance

61

8.4

Access to Information

61

8.5

HSR and Other Approvals

62

8.6

Indemnification of Directors and Officers

63

8.7

Agreement to Defend

64

8.8

Public Announcements

64

 

ii

 

 

8.9

Advice of Certain Matters; Control of Business

65

8.10

Tax Matters

65

8.11

Transfer Taxes

66

8.12

Tax Reporting

66

8.13

The Proxy Statement and the Special Meeting

67

8.14

Cooperation on Proxy Statement and Financing Matters

68

8.15

Reasonable Best Efforts; Notification

70

8.16

Trust Account

70

8.17

Grenadier PSA

70

8.18

First Amended Charter and First Amended Bylaws; Requisite Approvals

71

8.19

Directors and Officers of the Company

71

8.20

Listing

71

8.21

Post-Closing Revenues and Expenses

72

8.22

Merger of HPK Energy with and into the Surviving Corporation

72

Article IX CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

72

9.1

Conditions to Each Party’s Obligation to Consummate the Transactions

72

9.2

Additional Conditions to Obligations of Contributor

73

9.3

Additional Conditions to Obligations of the Parent Parties

74

9.4

Action by Parent

74

Article X TERMINATION

74

10.1

Termination

74

10.2

Notice of Termination; Effect of Termination

75

10.3

Expenses and Other Payments

76

Article XI GENERAL PROVISIONS

76

11.1

Schedule Definitions

76

11.2

Survival

76

11.3

Notices

76

11.4

Rules of Construction

78

11.5

Counterparts

79

11.6

Entire Agreement; Third Party Beneficiaries

79

11.7

Governing Law; Venue; Waiver of Jury Trial

80

11.8

Severability

81

11.9

Assignment

81

11.10

Affiliate Liability

81

11.11

Specific Performance

81

11.12

Amendment

82

11.13

Extension; Waiver

82

11.14

Trust Account Waiver

82

11.15

Releases

83

11.16

Contributor Representative

84

11.17

Several But Not Joint Liability

86

 

iii

 

 

LIST OF EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit A

Form of Stockholders’ Agreement

Exhibit B

Form of Registration Rights Agreement

Exhibit C

Form of LTIP

Exhibit D

Form of Certificate of Merger

Exhibit E

Form of Forward Purchase Agreement Amendment

Exhibit F

Form of Assignment Agreement

Exhibit G

HighPeak Employer PSA

Exhibit H

Form of First Amended Charter

Exhibit I

Form of First Amended Bylaws

 

iv

 

 

BUSINESS COMBINATION AGREEMENT

 

This Business Combination Agreement (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of November 27, 2019, by and among (i) Pure Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), (ii) HighPeak Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (the “Company”), (iii) Pure Acquisition Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub” and together with Parent and the Company, the “Parent Parties”), (iv) HighPeak Energy, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HighPeak I”), (v) HighPeak Energy II, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HighPeak II”), (vi) HighPeak Energy III, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HighPeak III”), (vii) HPK Energy, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“HPK Energy GP”, and together with HighPeak I, HighPeak II and HighPeak III, collectively, “Contributor”, unless the context clearly requires a reference to one of such Persons, then each such Person is separately referred to as a “Contributor”), and (viii) solely for the limited purposes specified herein, HighPeak Energy Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Contributor Representative”). Contributor and the Parent Parties are collectively referred to herein as the “Parties”.

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, HighPeak I, HighPeak II and HighPeak III collectively own 100% of the issued and outstanding economic limited partner Interests in HPK Energy, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HPK Energy” and the limited partner Interests in HPK Energy, the “HPK LP Interests”);

 

WHEREAS, HPK Energy GP owns 100% of the issued and outstanding non-economic general partner Interests in HPK Energy (the “HPK GP Interests” and together with the HPK LP Interests, the “HPK Interests”), and accordingly, Contributor collectively owns 100% of the issued and outstanding general and limited partner Interests in HPK Energy;

 

WHEREAS, HPK Energy (a) owns 100% of the issued and outstanding Interests in (i) HighPeak Energy Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“HighPeak Holdings”), (ii) HighPeak Energy Assets, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“HighPeak Assets I”), and (iii) HighPeak Energy Assets II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“HighPeak Assets II” and together with HPK Energy, HighPeak Holdings and HighPeak Assets I, the “HighPeak Entities” and each, a “HighPeak Entity” and the Interests in the HighPeak Entities, the “HighPeak Interests”) and (b) as of the Closing will own 100% of the issued and outstanding Interests in HighPeak Energy Employees, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“HighPeak Employer”, and together with the HighPeak Entities, the “Transferred Entities” and each, a “Transferred Entity” and the Interests in the Transferred Entities, the “Transferred Interests”);

 

WHEREAS, the Company was formed solely for the purpose of undertaking the Transactions applicable to the Company, including acquiring all of the Transferred Interests from Contributor (the “Business Combination”);

 

WHEREAS, Merger Sub was formed solely for the purpose of undertaking the Transactions applicable to Merger Sub, including a merger of Merger Sub with and into Parent, in which Parent will be the surviving corporation of such merger (the “Merger”);

 

1

 

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to and in connection with the Business Combination, and as part of the same integrated transaction (such that neither the Business Combination nor the Merger shall occur without the other), Parent and Merger Sub shall consummate the Merger, pursuant to which, among other things, (a) each outstanding share of Class A common stock of Parent, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Parent Class A Common Stock”) and each outstanding share of Class B common stock of Parent, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Parent Class B Common Stock,” and together with the Parent Class A Common Stock, the “Parent Common Stock”), shall each be converted into the right to receive one share of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Company Common Stock”), in each case as more specifically set forth herein;

 

WHEREAS, as part of the same integrated transaction (such that neither the Business Combination nor the Merger shall occur without the other) Contributor shall contribute and assign to the Company, and the Company shall acquire, among other things, all of the Transferred Interests, in exchange for newly issued shares of Company Common Stock as set forth herein;

 

WHEREAS, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Parties intend for (i) the Merger to qualify as a tax-free “reorganization” pursuant to Section 368(a) of the Code to the extent the applicable requirements are otherwise satisfied, (ii) the Merger, Business Combination and, to the extent an election to pay all cash consideration has not been made, the acquisition of the Grenadier Assets pursuant to the Grenadier PSA, together, qualify (in whole or in part) for nonrecognition of gain or loss pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, and (iii) this Agreement to constitute and be adopted as a “plan of reorganization” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations §§ 1.368-2(g) and 1.368-3(a); and

 

WHEREAS, at the Closing, the Company and the other Persons specified therein will enter into a Stockholders’ Agreement in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Stockholders’ Agreement”) and a Registration Rights Agreement in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the “Registration Rights Agreement”).

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements contained in this Agreement, and for other valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties to this Agreement agree as follows:

 

Article I
CERTAIN DEFINITIONS

 

1.1      Certain Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings set forth below:

 

Accounting Arbitrator” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2(e)(iii).

 

Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person directly or indirectly, Controlling, Controlled by, or under common Control with, such Person, through one or more intermediaries or otherwise; provided, however, that for purposes of this Agreement (a) Contributor shall not be deemed an Affiliate of any of the Parent Parties or vice versa, and (b) the Transferred Entities shall be Affiliates of Contributor with respect to periods of time prior to the Closing and Affiliates of the Parent Parties with respect to periods following the Closing.

 

2

 

 

Aggregate Title Losses” means aggregate losses to the Transferred Entities resulting from a breach of the first sentence of Section 5.13(a), the first sentence of Section 5.13(b) and the first sentence of Section 5.13(j), without duplication.

 

Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Antitrust Division” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.5(b).

 

Assignment Agreement” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.4(a)(viii).

 

Audited Financial Statements” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.5(a).

 

Available Debt Proceeds” shall mean the amount of debt financing that is available to any Parent Party or any of the Transferred Entities as of the Closing, but excluding Sponsor Loans unless otherwise agreed by the Parties.

 

Available Financing Proceeds” means, as of the Closing, (a) an amount equal to the Available Debt Proceeds, plus (b) any net cash proceeds to any Parent Party resulting from the PIPE Investment, the Forward Purchases and any other issuance of Parent Common Stock or Company Common Stock after the date hereof and prior to the Closing.

 

Available Liquidity” means, as of the Closing, (a) the amount of funds contained in the Trust Account (net of the Parent Stockholder Redemption Amount), plus (b) any cash on-hand of the Transferred Entities as of the Closing (but excluding such cash to the extent it is included in the calculation of clause (a) or clause (c) of this definition), plus (c) the amount of Available Financing Proceeds, minus (d) the amount of the Grenadier Closing Cash Payment, minus (e) Contributor’s Transaction Expenses (to the extent not paid by or on behalf of Contributor prior to the Closing), minus (f) Parent’s Transaction Expenses, plus (g) the amount of any and all capital expenditures and other amounts paid by or on behalf of the HighPeak Entities, with respect to their respective assets, and Grenadier, with respect to the Grenadier Assets, in each case, from and after January 1, 2020 through the Closing.

 

Balance Sheet Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.5(a).

 

Book-Entry Shares has the meaning set forth in Section 2.7(b)(i).

 

Business Combination” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Business Combination Proposal” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.12.

 

Business Day” means a day other than a day on which banks in the State of New York or Fort Worth, Texas are authorized or obligated to be closed.

 

Certificate of Merger” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1.

 

3

 

 

Certificates has the meaning set forth in Section 2.7(b)(i).

 

Change in Recommendation” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.13(c).

 

Closing” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.3.

 

Closing Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.3.

 

Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Company” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Company Board” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.19.

 

Company Common Stock” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Company Stockholder Approval” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.18.

 

Company Warrant” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.6(c).

 

Contributor” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Contributor Disclosure Letter” has the meaning set forth in Article IV.

 

Contributor Material Adverse Effect” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1.

 

Contributor Percentage Interest” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.

 

Contributor Related Persons” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.15(b).

 

Contributor Released Claims” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.15(a).

 

Contributor Representative” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Contributor Taxes” means all Income Taxes imposed on any Contributor, any of their direct or indirect owners, or any combined, unitary, or consolidated group of which any of the foregoing is or was a member.

 

Control” and its correlative terms, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.

 

Conversion Ratio” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.6(a).

 

Converted Loan Amount” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.

 

4

 

 

Creditors’ Rights” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.2(a).

 

DGCL” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1.

 

Dispute Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2(d).

 

Effective Date” means August 1, 2019.

 

Employee Benefit Plan” of any Person means any “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA, regardless of whether such plan is subject to ERISA), and any written personnel policy, equity option, restricted equity, equity purchase plan, other equity or equity-based compensation plan or arrangement, phantom equity or appreciation rights plan or arrangement, collective bargaining agreement, bonus plan or arrangement, incentive award plan or arrangement, vacation or holiday pay policy, retention or severance pay plan, policy or agreement, deferred compensation agreement or arrangement, change in control, hospitalization or other medical, dental, vision, accident, disability, life or other insurance, executive compensation or supplemental income arrangement, consulting agreement, employment agreement and any other plan, agreement, arrangement, program, practice or understanding.

 

Encumbrances” means liens, pledges, charges, encumbrances, claims, mortgages, deeds of trust, security interests and similar encumbrances.

 

End Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.1(b)(iv).

 

Environmental Laws” means any and all applicable Laws pertaining to prevention of pollution or protection of the environment (including (a) any natural resource restoration and natural resource damages or (b) the presence, generation, use, storage, treatment, disposal or Release of Hazardous Materials into the indoor or outdoor environment or the arrangement of any such activities) or to human health or safety to the extent such human health or safety relates to exposure to Hazardous Materials, in effect as of the date hereof.

 

ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Exchange Agent has the meaning set forth in Section 2.7(a).

 

Exchange Fund means any cash and shares of Company Common Stock deposited with the Exchange Agent in accordance with Section 2.7(a) (including as payment for fractional shares in accordance with Section 2.7(f) and any dividends or other distributions in accordance with Section 2.7(g)).

 

Extension Payment” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2(a)(iii).

 

Final Consideration” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2(d).

 

5

 

 

Final Settlement Statement” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2(d).

 

Financial Statements” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.5(a).

 

First Amended Charter” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.18.

 

Forward Purchase Agreement” means that certain Forward Purchase Agreement, dated April 12, 2018, by and between Parent and HPEP I, and its successors and permitted assigns.

 

Forward Purchase Agreement Amendment” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.4(a)(iv).

 

Forward Purchases” means (a) prior to the execution of the Forward Purchase Agreement Amendment, the issuance and purchase of up to 15,000,000 shares of Parent Class A Common Stock and up to 7,500,000 Forward Purchase Warrants (as defined in the Forward Purchase Agreement) pursuant to the terms of the Forward Purchase Agreement and (b) as of and following the execution of the Forward Purchase Agreement Amendment, the issuance and purchase of up to 15,000,000 shares of Company Common Stock and up to 5,000,000 Forward Purchase Warrants (as defined in the Forward Purchase Agreement Amendment) pursuant to the terms of the Forward Purchase Agreement Amendment.

 

FTC” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.5(b).

 

GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.

 

Good and Defensible Title” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.13(a).

 

Governmental Entity” means any court, governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or commission or other governmental authority or instrumentality, domestic or foreign.

 

Grenadier” means Grenadier Energy Partners II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.

 

Grenadier Assets” means the assets and properties to be acquired by HighPeak Assets II pursuant to the Grenadier PSA.

 

Grenadier Closing” means the date on which the transactions contemplated by the Grenadier PSA are consummated, including HighPeak Assets II’s acquisition of the Grenadier Assets.

 

Grenadier Closing Cash Payment” means the amount HighPeak Assets II is required to pay to Grenadier at the Grenadier Closing, including the cash portion of the Grenadier Purchase Price required to be funded at the Grenadier Closing, after giving effect to any applicable adjustments to the Grenadier Purchase Price pursuant to Section 10.02 of the Grenadier PSA.

  

Grenadier PSA” means that certain Contribution Agreement, dated November 27, 2019, by and among Grenadier, as contributor, HighPeak Assets II, as acquiror, Parent and the Company.

 

Grenadier Purchase Price” means the “Acquisition Price” as defined in Section 2.01(a)(iv) of the Grenadier PSA.

 

6

 

 

Hazardous Materials” means any (a) chemical, product, substance, waste, pollutant or contaminant that is defined or listed as hazardous or toxic or that is otherwise regulated under any Environmental Law; (b) asbestos containing materials, whether in a friable or non-friable condition, lead-containing material, polychlorinated biphenyls, naturally occurring radioactive materials or radon; and (c) Hydrocarbons.

 

HighPeak Assets I” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

HighPeak Assets II” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

HighPeak Employer” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

HighPeak Employer PSA” means that certain Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated as of the date of this Agreement, by and between HighPeak Energy Management, LLC, as seller, and HPK Energy, as buyer, pursuant to which HighPeak Employer will be transferred to HPK Energy immediately prior to the Closing.

 

HighPeak Entity” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

HighPeak Holdings” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

HighPeak I” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

HighPeak II” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

HighPeak III” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

HighPeak Independent Petroleum Engineers” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.13(a).

 

HighPeak Interests” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

HighPeak Material Adverse Effect” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.1.

 

HighPeak Permits” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.8(a).

 

HighPeak Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.10(a).

 

HighPeak Reserve Report” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.13(a).

 

HPEP I” means HighPeak Energy Partners, LP, a Delaware limited partnership and an equityholder of HighPeak I.

 

HPEP II” means HighPeak Energy Partners II, LP, a Delaware limited partnership and an equityholder of HighPeak II.

 

HPK Energy” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

HPK Energy GP” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

7

 

 

HPK GP Interests” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

HPK Interests” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

HPK LP Interests” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

HSR Act” means the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Hydrocarbons” means crude oil, natural gas, condensate, drip gas and natural gas liquids, coalbed gas, ethane, propane, iso-butane, nor-butane, gasoline, scrubber liquids and other liquids or gaseous hydrocarbons or other substances (including minerals or gases) or any combination thereof, produced or associated therewith.

 

Immaterial Consents” means any consent, approval, notice or other direct or indirect restriction on assignment, transfer or disposition (a) that, by its written terms, cannot be unreasonably withheld by the holder or beneficiary thereof or (b) that, if not obtained, waived, or given, would not result in a material breach of or default under, or termination of, the underlying permit, license, lease, contract, instrument or agreement.

 

Income Taxes” means any U.S. federal, state or local or foreign income Tax or Tax based on profits (including any capital gains and net worth Taxes), net profits, margin revenues or similar measure.

 

Indebtedness” of any Person means, without duplication: (a) indebtedness of such Person for borrowed money; (b) obligations of such Person to pay the deferred purchase or acquisition price for any property of such Person; (c) reimbursement obligations of such Person in respect of drawn letters of credit or similar instruments issued or accepted by banks and other financial institutions for the account of such Person; (d) obligations of such Person under a lease to the extent such obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as a capital lease on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP; and (e) indebtedness of others as described in clauses (a) through (d) above guaranteed by such Person; provided, however, that Indebtedness does not include accounts payable to trade creditors or accrued expenses, in each case, arising in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and that are not yet due and payable, or are being disputed in good faith, and the endorsement of negotiable instruments for collection in the ordinary course of business.

 

Indemnified Liabilities” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.6(a).

 

Indemnified Persons” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.6(a).

 

Interest” means, with respect to any Person: (a) capital stock, membership interests, partnership interests, other equity interests, rights to profits or revenue and any other similar interest of such Person; (b) any security or other interest convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any of the foregoing; and (c) any right (contingent or otherwise) to acquire any of the foregoing.

 

Intervening Event” means a material event, change, effect, development, condition or occurrence that affects the business, financial condition or continuing results of operations of the Transferred Entities, taken as a whole, that (a) is not known and is not reasonably foreseeable by the Parent Board as of the date of this Agreement, (b) does not relate to Parent or its Affiliates and (c) did not result from any breach of this Agreement by any Parent Party or any of their respective directors, officers, employees or other Representatives.

 

8

 

 

Intervening Event Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.13(c).

 

IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.

 

Knowledge” means the actual knowledge of (a) in the case of Contributor, the individuals listed in Schedule 1.1(a) of the Contributor Disclosure Letter and (b) in the case of any Parent Party, the individuals listed in Schedule 1.1(a) of the Parent Disclosure Letter.

 

Law” means any law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, judgment, decree, order, treaty, convention, governmental directive or other legally enforceable requirement, U.S. or non-U.S., of any Governmental Entity, including common law.

 

Letter of Transmittal has the meaning set forth in Section 2.7(b)(i).

 

LTIP” means the Long Term Incentive Plan of the Company in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C.

 

Material Adverse Effect” means, when used with respect to any Person, any occurrence, condition, change, event or effect that (a) has had, is or is reasonably likely to result in, a material adverse effect on the financial condition, assets, business or results of operations of such Person and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (b) prevents or materially delays or impairs the ability of such Person (and its Subsidiaries, if applicable) to consummate the Transactions; provided, however, that in no event shall any of the following constitute a Material Adverse Effect pursuant to clause (a): (i) any occurrence, condition, change, event or effect resulting from or relating to changes in general economic or financial market conditions; (ii) any occurrence, condition, change (including changes in applicable Law), event or effect that affects the oil and gas exploration and production industry generally (including changes in commodity prices, general market prices and regulatory changes affecting such industry generally); (iii) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States, the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war or the occurrence of any natural disasters and acts of terrorism (but not any such event resulting in any damage or destruction to or loss of such Person’s physical properties to the extent such change or effect would otherwise constitute a Material Adverse Effect); (iv) any failure to meet internal estimates, projections or forecasts (it being understood that the underlying cause of any such failure, not otherwise excluded by the exceptions set forth in this definition, may be taken into consideration in determining whether a Material Adverse Effect has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur); (v) any occurrence, condition, change, event or effect resulting from or relating to the announcement or pendency of the Transactions; (vi) any change in GAAP, or in the interpretation thereof, as imposed upon such Person, its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses or any change in applicable Law, or in the interpretation thereof; (vii) natural declines in well performance and (viii) any reclassification or recalculation of reserves in the ordinary course of business; provided, further, that in the case of the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), except to the extent that any such matters have a disproportionate and materially adverse effect on the financial condition, assets, business or results of operations of the Transferred Entities (taken as a whole) relative to other businesses in the industries in which the Transferred Entities operate.

 

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Material Grenadier Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.15(c).

 

Material HighPeak Contracts” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.15(b).

 

Material HighPeak Insurance Policies” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.16.

 

Merger” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Merger Consideration” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.6(a).

 

Merger Effective Time” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2.

 

Merger Sub” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Merger Sub Stockholder Approval” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.18.

 

Nasdaq” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.13.

 

Net Mineral Acres” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.13(b).

 

Notice Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.13(c).

 

NYSE” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.13.

 

Oil and Gas Leases” means (a) all leases, subleases, licenses or other occupancy or similar agreements under which a Person leases, subleases or licenses or otherwise acquires or obtains rights in and to Hydrocarbons and (b) all overriding royalty interests, production payments and other rights in and to Production Burdens.

 

Oil and Gas Properties” means all interests in and rights with respect to (a) oil, gas, mineral and similar properties of any kind and nature, including working, leasehold and mineral interests and royalties, overriding royalties, production payments, net profit interests and other non-working interests and non-operating interests (including all rights and interests derived from Oil and Gas Leases, operating agreements, unitization and pooling agreements and orders, division orders, transfer orders, mineral deeds, royalty deeds, and in each case, interests thereunder), oil and gas fee interests, reversionary interests, back-in interests, reservations and concessions and (b) all oil and gas production wells located on or producing from such leases and properties described in clause (a).

 

Organizational Documents” means (a) with respect to a corporation, the charter, articles or certificate of incorporation, as applicable, and bylaws thereof, (b) with respect to a limited liability company, the certificate of formation or organization, as applicable, and the operating or limited liability company agreement thereof, (c) with respect to a partnership, the certificate of formation and the partnership agreement thereof, and (d) with respect to any other Person, the organizational, constituent or governing documents or instruments of such Person.

 

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Parent” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Parent Board” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.12.

 

Parent Board Recommendation” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.13(c).

 

Parent Class A Common Stock” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Parent Class B Common Stock” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Parent Common Stock” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Parent Contracts” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.10.

 

Parent Disclosure Letter” has the meaning set forth in Article VII.

 

Parent Equity Interests” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.4(b).

 

Parent Material Adverse Effect” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1.

 

Parent Offer” means the offer by Parent to the holders of Parent Class A Common Stock to redeem such shares for the consideration, and on the terms and subject to the conditions and limitations, set forth in the Organizational Documents of Parent in connection with obtaining the Parent Stockholder Approval.

 

Parent Parties” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Parent Preferred Stock” means the Preferred Stock of Parent, par value $0.0001 per share.

 

Parent Related Persons” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.15(a).

 

Parent Released Claims” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.15(b).

 

Parent SEC Documents” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.6(a).

 

Parent Stockholder Approval” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.12.

 

Parent Stockholder Redemption Amount” means the aggregate amount of cash proceeds required to satisfy any acceptance and exercise by stockholders of Parent of the Parent Offer to have shares of Parent Class A Common Stock redeemed.

 

Parent Subsidiaries” has the meaning set forth in Article VI.

 

Parent Subsidiary Material Adverse Effect” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1.

 

Parent Warrants” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.4(a).

 

Parties” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

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Permitted Encumbrances” means, with respect to any Person:

 

(a)     preferential purchase rights, rights of first refusal, purchase options and similar rights granted pursuant to any contracts, including joint operating agreements, joint ownership agreements, stockholders agreements, organic documents and other similar agreements and documents (i) for which written waivers or consents are obtained or notices are given from or to the appropriate parties for the Transactions, (ii) which are not applicable to the Transactions or (iii) are no longer exercisable;

 

(b)     contractual or statutory mechanic’s, materialmen’s, warehouseman’s, journeyman’s and carrier’s liens and other similar Encumbrances arising in the ordinary course of business for amounts not yet delinquent and Encumbrances for Taxes or assessments that are not yet delinquent or, in all instances, if delinquent, that are being contested in good faith in the ordinary course of business by the Person responsible for payment thereof;

 

(c)     Production Burdens payable to third parties that would not reduce the net revenue interest share of such Person or its Subsidiaries in any Oil and Gas Property below the net revenue interest share shown in such Person’s latest reserve report with respect to such lease, or increase the working interest of such Person or its Subsidiaries in any Oil and Gas Property above the working interest shown in such Person’s latest reserve report with respect to such property;

 

(d)     Encumbrances arising in the ordinary course of business under operating agreements, joint venture agreements, partnership agreements, Oil and Gas Leases, farm-out agreements, division orders, contracts for the sale, purchase, transportation, processing or exchange of oil, gas or other Hydrocarbons, unitization and pooling declarations and agreements, area of mutual interest agreements, development agreements, joint ownership arrangements and other agreements that are customary in the oil and gas business (including Material HighPeak Contracts), but only if, in each case, such Encumbrance (i) secures obligations that are not Indebtedness and are not delinquent and (ii) has no material adverse effect on the value, use or operation of the property or asset encumbered thereby;

 

(e)     all easements, zoning restrictions, rights-of-way, servitudes, permits, surface leases and other similar rights in respect of surface operations and easements for pipelines, streets, alleys, highways, telephone lines, power lines, railways and other easements and rights-of-way, on, over or in respect of any of the properties of such Person or any of its Subsidiaries, that are customarily granted in the oil and gas industry and do not materially interfere with the operation, value or use of the property or asset affected thereby;

 

(f)     any Encumbrances discharged at or prior to the Closing;

 

(g)     Encumbrances imposed or promulgated by applicable Law or any Governmental Entity with respect to real property, including zoning, building or similar restrictions; or

 

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(h)     Encumbrances, exceptions, defects or irregularities in title, easements, imperfections of title, claims, charges, security interests, rights-of-way, covenants, restrictions and other similar matters that (i) do not materially interfere with the operation, value or use of the property or asset affected thereby and (ii) would not reduce the net revenue interest share of such Person or its Subsidiaries in any Oil and Gas Property below the net revenue interest share shown or used in the determination of reserves in such Person’s latest reserve report with respect to such lease or increase the working interest of such Person or of its Subsidiaries in any Oil and Gas Property above the working interest shown or used in the determination of reserves in such Person’s latest reserve report with respect to such lease.

 

Person” means any individual, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, joint stock company, trust, estate, joint venture, Governmental Entity, association or unincorporated organization or any other form of business or professional entity.

 

PIPE Investment” means the issuance and sale of up to 30,000,000 shares of Company Common Stock in connection with the Closing, in a private placement to one or more qualified institutional buyers and accredited investors.

 

Preliminary Settlement Statement” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2(c).

 

Proceeding” means any suit, proceeding or governmental investigation.

 

Production Burdens” means any royalties (including lessor’s royalties), overriding royalties, production payments, net profit interests or other burdens upon, measured by or payable out of oil, gas or mineral production.

 

Proxy Statement” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.13(a).

 

Registration Rights Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Related Persons” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.15(a).

 

Release” means any depositing, spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, placing, emitting, discarding, abandoning, emptying, discharging, migrating, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping or disposing.

 

Representatives” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.4(a)(i).

 

Represented Persons” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.16(a).

 

SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Special Committee” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.12.

 

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Special Meeting” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.13(b).

 

Sponsor Loans” means (a) those loans set forth on Schedule 1.1(b) of the Contributor Disclosure Letter in existence as of the date hereof, (b) additional monthly loans to be made by Contributor or one of its affiliates in an amount equal to $0.033 for each share of Parent Class A Common Stock issued in Parent’s initial public offering that was not redeemed in connection with the vote of Parent’s stockholders to approve the date by which Parent must consummate a business combination for each month (commencing on October 17, 2019 and on the 17th day of each subsequent calendar month) that is needed by Parent to complete an initial business combination from October 17, 2019 to February 21, 2020 and (c) such other amounts as the Parties may agree (provided that in the case of obtaining approval of Parent of any such other amounts in excess of $5,000,000 in the aggregate, the Special Committee shall approve in writing such amounts).

 

Stock Consideration” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.

 

Stockholders’ Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Subsidiary” means, with respect to a Person, any Person of which (a) at least 50% of the Interests having by their terms ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors or other Persons performing similar functions or (b) a general partner interest or a managing member interest, is directly or indirectly owned or Controlled by the subject Person or by one or more of its respective Subsidiaries.

 

Surviving Corporation” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1.

 

Surviving Provisions” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.2.

 

Tax Returns” means any return, report, statement, information return, claim for refund or other document filed or required to be filed with any Governmental Entity in connection with the determination, assessment, collection or administration of any Taxes or the administration of any Laws relating to any Taxes, including any schedule or attachment thereto, any related or supporting information and any amendment thereof.

 

Taxes” means any and all taxes or similar charges, levies or other assessments of any kind, including, but not limited to, income, corporate, capital, excise, property, sales, use, turnover, value added and franchise taxes, deductions, withholdings and custom duties, together with all interest, penalties and additions to tax imposed by any Governmental Entity.

 

Terminable Breach” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.1(b)(ii).

 

Title Threshold” means an amount equal to five percent (5%) of the amount obtained by multiplying (a) the number of shares constituting the Stock Consideration and (b) $10.00.

 

Transaction Agreements” means this Agreement and each other agreement to be executed and delivered in connection herewith and therewith.

 

Transaction Expenses” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.3(a).

 

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Transactions” means the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other Transaction Agreements.

 

Transfer Taxes” means any transfer, sales, use, stamp, registration or other similar Taxes imposed with respect to or resulting from the Transactions; provided, for the avoidance of doubt, that Transfer Taxes shall not include any income, franchise or similar Taxes arising from the Transactions.

 

Transferred Entities” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Transferred Interests” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Trust Account” has the meaning given to such term in the Trust Agreement.

 

Trust Agreement” means the Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated effective April 12, 2018, between Parent and the Trustee.

 

Trustee” means Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation.

 

Ultimate Parent Entity” has the meaning given to such term in the HSR Act.

 

Unadjusted Shares” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.

 

Unaudited Financial Statements” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.5(a).

 

Voting Debt” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.4(a).

 

Warrant Agent” means Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, in its capacity as the warrant agent under the Warrant Agreement.

 

Warrant Agreement” means that certain Warrant Agreement, dated April 12, 2018, by and between Parent and the Warrant Agent.

 

Warrant Agreement Amendment” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.6(c).

 

Warrant Agreement Assignment” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.6(c).

 

Willful and Material Breach” means a material breach that is a consequence of an act (including the failure to act) undertaken by the breaching Party with the actual knowledge that the taking of such act would constitute a breach of this Agreement.

 

Article II
MERGER

 

2.1     The Merger. At the Merger Effective Time and subject to and upon the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the certificate of merger substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D (the “Certificate of Merger”), and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”), Merger Sub shall be merged with and into Parent, the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub shall cease and Parent shall continue as the surviving corporation. Parent, as the surviving corporation after the Merger, is hereinafter sometimes referred to as the “Surviving Corporation.”

 

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2.2     Merger Effective Time. Subject to and upon the terms and conditions of this Agreement, on the Closing Date and prior to the Closing, Parent and Merger Sub shall execute and deliver for filing the Certificate of Merger to the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, in such manner as is provided in the DGCL. Parent and Merger Sub shall make all other filings or recordings required under the DGCL to effectuate the Merger. The Merger shall become effective upon the filing of the Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State for the State of Delaware or at such time thereafter as is provided in the Certificate of Merger, which time shall in any event occur immediately prior to the Closing (such time as the Merger becomes effective, the “Merger Effective Time”).

 

2.3     Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Surviving Corporation. At the Merger Effective Time and by virtue of the Merger, (a) the certificate of incorporation of Parent shall be amended to be identical to the certificate of incorporation of Merger Sub in effect immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time, except (i) for Article FIRST, which shall read “The name of the corporation is HighPeak Energy Acquisition Corp. (the “Corporation”)” and (ii) that the provisions of the certificate of incorporation of Merger Sub relating to the incorporator of Merger Sub shall be omitted, and, as so amended, shall be the amended and restated certificate of incorporation of the Surviving Corporation until thereafter amended in accordance with the DGCL, and (b) the bylaws of Parent shall be amended and restated in their entirety to be identical to the bylaws of Merger Sub immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time, and, as so amended, shall be the amended and restated bylaws of the Surviving Corporation until thereafter amended in accordance with the DGCL.

 

2.4     Directors and Officers of the Surviving Corporation. At the Merger Effective Time, (a) the directors serving on the board of directors of Merger Sub immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time shall be the directors of the Surviving Corporation as of and immediately after the Merger Effective Time, to serve as such until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified or until their respective earlier death, resignation or removal and (b) the officers of Merger Sub immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time shall be the officers of the Surviving Corporation as of and immediately after the Merger Effective Time, to serve as such until their respective successors have been duly appointed and qualified or until their respective earlier death, resignation or removal.

 

2.5     Effect of the Merger. At the Merger Effective Time, the effect of the Merger shall be as provided in this Agreement, the Certificate of Merger and the applicable provisions of the DGCL. Without limiting the foregoing, from and after the Merger Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation shall possess all properties, rights, privileges, powers and franchises of Parent and Merger Sub, and all of the claims, obligations, liabilities, debts and duties of Parent and Merger Sub shall be vested in the Surviving Corporation.

 

2.6     Effect of Merger on Capital Stock and Parent Warrants. By virtue of the Merger and without any action on the part of any Party or any other Person:

 

(a)     Conversion of Parent Capital Stock. At the Merger Effective Time, subject to Section 2.6(e) and Section 2.6(f), (i) each share of Parent Class A Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time and (ii) each share of Parent Class B Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time shall, in each case, be immediately and automatically converted into the right to receive from the Company one fully paid and nonassessable share of Company Common Stock (such conversion ratio, subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 2.6(f), the “Conversion Ratio”), subject to any withholding Taxes required by applicable Law (the “Merger Consideration”); provided, however, that 760,000 shares of Parent Class B Common Stock shall be automatically deemed to be transferred to Parent, surrendered and forfeited for no consideration immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time in accordance with the Sponsor Support Agreement entered into as of the date hereof by Parent and HighPeak Pure Acquisition, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. At the Merger Effective Time, all issued and outstanding Parent Common Stock shall no longer be outstanding and shall cease to exist. Any and all holders of certificates previously evidencing shares of Parent Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time shall cease to have any rights with respect to such shares of Parent Common Stock, except as provided herein or by Law.

 

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(b)     Conversion of Merger Sub Capital Stock. At the Merger Effective Time, each share of common stock of Merger Sub issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time shall be immediately and automatically converted into and become one share of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Surviving Corporation, with all of such shares of the Surviving Corporation held solely by the Company. All shares of common stock of Merger Sub, when converted as provided in this Section 2.6(b), shall no longer be outstanding and shall cease to exist.

 

(c)     Parent Warrants. At the Merger Effective Time, each Parent Warrant (or portion thereof) issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time will, pursuant to the terms of the Warrant Agreement, automatically represent the right to purchase shares of Company Common Stock on the same terms and conditions as are set forth in the Warrant Agreement (each a “Company Warrant”). Effective as of the Merger Effective Time, (i) the Company and the Surviving Corporation shall use best efforts to enter into an amendment to the Warrant Agreement in a form mutually agreed upon by the parties thereto (the “Warrant Agreement Amendment”) with the Warrant Agent, pursuant to which the Warrant Agreement will be revised to reflect the reduction in the number of Forward Purchase Warrants (as defined in the Warrant Agreement) purchasable pursuant to the Forward Purchase Agreement and to include the private placement warrants to be delivered to Grenadier pursuant to the Grenadier PSA as “Private Placement Warrants” (as defined in the Warrant Agreement) for all purposes thereunder, (ii) the Company and the Surviving Corporation (as successor to Parent) shall enter into an assignment agreement in a form mutually agreed upon by such parties (the “Warrant Agreement Assignment”), pursuant to which the Surviving Corporation (as successor to Parent) assigns to the Company, and the Company assumes, the rights and obligations of Parent under the Warrant Agreement and the Surviving Corporation (as successor to Parent) undertakes to cause the Company to perform its obligations thereunder and (iii) the Company shall take all corporate action necessary to reserve for future issuance, and shall maintain such reservation for so long as any of the Company Warrants remain outstanding, a sufficient number of shares of Company Common Stock for delivery upon the exercise of such Company Warrants.

 

(d)     Parent Units. Effective immediately prior to the conversions contemplated by Section 2.6(a) and Section 2.6(c), any and all “Units” (as such term is defined in the Warrant Agreement), which are composed of one share of Parent Class A Common Stock and one-half of one Parent Warrant, shall be immediately and automatically detached and broken out into their constituent parts, such that a holder of a Unit shall be deemed to hold one share of Parent Class A Common Stock and one-half of one Parent Warrant and such underlying constituent securities shall be converted in accordance with Section 2.6(a) and Section 2.6(c), as applicable.

 

(e)     Cancellation of Company Common Stock and Parent Common Stock Owned by Parent. At the Merger Effective Time, if there are any shares of Company Common Stock or Parent Common Stock that are owned by Parent or any shares of Company Common Stock or Parent Common Stock owned by any direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiary of Parent immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time, such shares shall be canceled and extinguished without any conversion thereof or payment therefor.

 

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(f)     Adjustments to Conversion Ratio. The Conversion Ratio shall be adjusted to reflect fully the effect of any share sub-division or combination, stock dividend (including any dividend or distribution of securities convertible into Company Common Stock or Parent Common Stock), reorganization, recapitalization or other like change with respect to Company Common Stock or Parent Common Stock occurring after the date hereof and prior to the Merger Effective Time, so as to provide holders of Parent Common Stock and Company Common Stock the same economic effect as contemplated by this Agreement prior to such share sub-division or combination, stock dividend, reorganization, recapitalization or like change.

 

(g)     No Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of Company Common Stock shall be issued in connection with the Merger, and no certificates or scrip for any such fractional shares shall be issued. Any holder of Parent Common Stock who would otherwise be entitled to receive a fraction of a share of Company Common Stock (after aggregating all fractional shares of Company Common Stock issuable to such holder) shall, in lieu of such fraction of a share, be paid in cash the dollar amount (rounded to the nearest whole cent), without interest, determined by multiplying such fraction by the closing bid price of a share of Parent Class A Common Stock on the national securities exchange on which the Parent Class A Common Stock may be trading on the Business Day immediately prior to the Closing Date. The Parties acknowledge that payment of cash consideration in lieu of issuing fractional shares of Company Common Stock was not separately bargained for consideration but merely represents a mechanical rounding off for purposes of simplifying the corporate and accounting problems that would otherwise be caused by the issuance of fractional shares of Company Common Stock.

 

(h)     Transfers of Ownership. If any certificate for shares of Company Common Stock is to be issued in a name other than that in which the Certificate surrendered in exchange therefor is registered, it will be a condition of the issuance thereof that the Certificate so surrendered will be properly endorsed and otherwise in proper form for transfer and that the person requesting such exchange will have paid to the Company or any agent designated by it any transfer or other taxes required by reason of the issuance of a certificate for shares of Company Common Stock in any name other than that of the registered holder of the certificate surrendered, or established to the satisfaction of the Company or any agent designated by it that such tax has been paid or is not payable.

 

2.7     Exchange of Securities.

 

(a)     Exchange Agent; Exchange Fund. Prior to the Merger Effective Time, the Company shall enter into an agreement with an entity designated by the Company and reasonably acceptable to Contributor to act as agent for the holders of Parent Common Stock in connection with the Merger (the “Exchange Agent”) and to receive the Merger Consideration and all cash payable pursuant to this Article II. On or prior to the Closing Date and prior to the filing of the Certificate of Merger, the Company shall deposit, or cause to be deposited, with the Exchange Agent, for the benefit of the holders of shares of Parent Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time, for exchange in accordance with this Article II through the Exchange Agent, (i) the number of shares of Company Common Stock issuable to such holders and (ii) sufficient cash to make payments in lieu of fractional shares pursuant to Section 2.6(g). In addition, the Company shall deposit, or cause to be deposited, with the Exchange Agent, as necessary from time to time after the Merger Effective Time, cash sufficient to pay any dividends and other distributions pursuant to Section 2.7(g), if any. The Exchange Agent shall, pursuant to irrevocable instructions, deliver the Merger Consideration contemplated to be issued in exchange for shares of Parent Common Stock pursuant to this Agreement out of the Exchange Fund. Except as contemplated by Section 2.6, this Section 2.7(a) and Section 2.7(g), the Exchange Fund shall not be used for any other purpose. The Surviving Corporation shall pay all charges and expenses, including those of the Exchange Agent, in connection with the exchange of shares of Parent Common Stock for the Merger Consideration and the payment of cash in lieu of fractional shares. Any interest or other income resulting from investment of the cash portion of the Exchange Fund shall become part of the Exchange Fund.

 

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(b)     Exchange Procedures.

 

(i)     As soon as reasonably practicable after the Merger Effective Time, but in no event more than ten (10) Business Days after the Closing Date, the Surviving Corporation and the Company shall cause the Exchange Agent to deliver to each record holder, as of immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time, of (A) an outstanding certificate or certificates that immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time represent shares of Parent Common Stock (the “Certificates”) or (B) shares of Parent Common Stock represented by book-entry (“Book-Entry Shares”), a letter of transmittal (“Letter of Transmittal”) (which shall specify that delivery shall be effected, and risk of loss and title to the Certificates shall pass, only upon proper delivery of the Certificates to the Exchange Agent or, in the case of Book-Entry Shares, upon adherence to the procedures set forth in the Letter of Transmittal, and which shall be in a customary form and agreed to by the Company and Contributor prior to the Closing) and instructions for use in effecting the surrender of the Certificates or, in the case of Book-Entry Shares, the surrender of such shares, for payment of the Merger Consideration.

 

(ii)     Upon surrender to the Exchange Agent of a Certificate or Book-Entry Shares, delivery of a duly completed and validly executed Letter of Transmittal, and such other customary documents as may be reasonably required by the Exchange Agent, the holder of such Certificate or Book-Entry Shares shall be entitled to promptly receive in exchange therefor (A) one or more shares of Company Common Stock (which shall be in uncertificated book-entry form unless a physical certificate is requested by such holder) representing, in the aggregate, the whole number of shares of Company Common Stock, if any, that such holder has the right to receive pursuant to Section 2.6 (after taking into account all shares of Parent Common Stock held by such holder as of immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time) and (B) a check in an amount equal to the aggregate amount of cash that such holder has the right to receive pursuant to this Article II, with respect to cash payable in lieu of any fractional shares of Company Common Stock pursuant to Section 2.6(g) and dividends and other distributions pursuant to Section 2.7(g). No interest shall be paid or accrued for the benefit of holders of the Certificates or Book-Entry Shares on the cash in lieu of fractional shares or on any unpaid dividends and other distributions payable in respect of the Certificates or Book-Entry Shares. Until surrendered as contemplated by this Section 2.7(b)(ii), each Certificate and each Book-Entry Share shall be deemed at any time after the Merger Effective Time to represent only the right to receive, upon such surrender, the Merger Consideration payable in respect of the shares of Parent Common Stock, cash in lieu of any fractional shares of Company Common Stock to which such holder is entitled pursuant to Section 2.6(g) and any dividends or other distributions to which such holder is entitled pursuant to Section 2.7(g).

 

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(c)     Termination Rights. All Merger Consideration, dividends or other distributions with respect to Company Common Stock pursuant to Section 2.7(g), and any cash in lieu of fractional shares of Company Common Stock pursuant to Section 2.6(g) paid upon the surrender of and in exchange for shares of Parent Common Stock in accordance with the terms hereof shall be deemed to have been paid in full satisfaction of all rights pertaining to such Parent Common Stock. At the Merger Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation shall cause the stock transfer books of the Surviving Corporation to be closed immediately, and there shall be no further registration of transfers on the stock transfer books of the Surviving Corporation of the shares of Parent Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time. If, after the Merger Effective Time, Certificates or Book-Entry Shares are presented to the Surviving Corporation for any reason, they shall be canceled and exchanged for the Merger Consideration issuable in respect of the shares of Parent Common Stock previously represented by such Certificates or Book-Entry Shares, any cash in lieu of fractional shares of Company Common Stock to which the holders thereof are entitled pursuant to Section 2.6(g) and any dividends or other distributions to which the holders thereof are entitled pursuant to Section 2.7(g), without any interest thereon (as applicable).

 

(d)     Termination of Exchange Fund. Any portion of the Exchange Fund that remains undistributed to the former common stockholders of Parent on the date that is six (6) months after the Closing Date shall be delivered to the Company or, at the Company’s direction, Surviving Corporation, upon demand, and any former stockholders of Parent who have not theretofore received the Merger Consideration, any cash in lieu of fractional shares of Company Common Stock to which they are entitled pursuant to Section 2.6(g) and any dividends or other distributions with respect to shares of Company Common Stock to which they are entitled pursuant to Section 2.7(g), in each case without interest thereon (as applicable), shall thereafter look only to the Surviving Corporation and the Company for payment of their claim for such amounts.

 

(e)     No Liability. None of the Surviving Corporation, any Party or the Exchange Agent shall be liable to any holder of Parent Common Stock for any amount of Merger Consideration properly delivered to a public official pursuant to any applicable abandoned property law, escheat law or similar Law. If any Certificate or Book-Entry Share has not been surrendered prior to the time that is immediately prior to the time at which Merger Consideration in respect of such Certificate or Book-Entry Share would otherwise escheat to or become the property of any Governmental Entity, any such shares, cash, dividends or distributions in respect of such Certificate or Book-Entry Share shall, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, become the property of the Company, free and clear of all claims or interest of any Person previously entitled thereto.

 

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(f)     Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates. If any Certificate shall have been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the Person claiming such Certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed and, if reasonably required by the Company, the posting by such Person of a bond in such reasonable amount as the Company may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against it with respect to such Certificate, the Exchange Agent shall issue in exchange for such lost, stolen or destroyed Certificate the Merger Consideration issuable in respect of the shares of Parent Common Stock formerly represented by such Certificate, any cash in lieu of fractional shares of Company Common Stock to which the holders thereof are entitled pursuant to Section 2.6(g), and any dividends or other distributions to which the holders thereof are entitled pursuant to Section 2.7(g), in each case, without any interest thereon (as applicable).

 

(g)     Distributions with Respect to Unexchanged Shares of Company Common Stock. No dividends or other distributions declared or made with respect to shares of Company Common Stock with a record date after the Merger Effective Time shall be paid to the holder of any unsurrendered Certificate or Book-Entry Shares with respect to the whole shares of Company Common Stock that such holder would be entitled to receive upon surrender of such Certificate or Book-Entry Shares and no cash payment in lieu of fractional shares of Company Common Stock shall be paid to any such holder, in each case until such holder shall surrender such Certificate or Book-Entry Shares in accordance with this Section 2.7. Following surrender of any such Certificate or Book-Entry Shares, such holder of whole shares of Company Common Stock issuable in exchange therefor, shall be promptly paid, without interest, (i) the amount of dividends or other distributions with a record date after the Merger Effective Time theretofore paid with respect to such whole shares of Company Common Stock, and (ii) at the appropriate payment date, the amount of dividends or other distributions with a record date after the Merger Effective Time but prior to such payment date following such surrender payable with respect to such whole shares of Company Common Stock. For purposes of dividends or other distributions in respect of shares of Company Common Stock, all whole shares of Company Common Stock to be issued pursuant to the Merger shall be entitled to dividends pursuant to the immediately preceding sentence as if such whole shares of Company Common Stock were issued and outstanding as of the Merger Effective Time.

 

2.8     Taking of Necessary Action; Further Action. If, at any time after the Merger Effective Time, any further action is necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes of this Agreement and to vest the Surviving Corporation with full right, title and possession to all assets, property, rights, privileges, powers and franchises of Parent and Merger Sub, the officers and directors of Parent and Merger Sub are fully authorized in the name of their respective corporations or otherwise to take, and will take, all such lawful and necessary action, so long as such action is not inconsistent with this Agreement.

 

Article III
THE BUSINESS COMBINATION

 

3.1     Contribution. Upon the terms and subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions contained in this Agreement, at the Closing and effective immediately following the Merger, (a) Contributor shall (i) contribute and assign to the Company all of the HPK LP Interests and (ii) assign to the Company (or a subsidiary designated by the Company that is disregarded as separate from the Company for U.S. federal income tax purposes) all of the HPK GP Interests, (b) Contributor shall contribute and assign to the Company any and all Sponsor Loans with respect to which any Contributor is the payee and the Company is the obligor and such loans shall be immediately and automatically cancelled by the Company, with no further action required by any Person, effective at the Closing (the amount that would otherwise be required to repay such Sponsor Loans at the Closing being the “Converted Loan Amount”) and (c) the Company shall issue to Contributor 71,150,000 shares of Company Common Stock in book-entry form (the “Unadjusted Shares”), subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 3.2 (as adjusted, the “Stock Consideration”). The Stock Consideration will be issued to Contributors pro rata based on their respective pro rata limited partner Interests in HPK Energy (each such pro rata amount, the “Contributor Percentage Interest”) as of the Closing, with no such Stock Consideration being issued with respect to any HPK GP Interests.

 

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3.2     Consideration Adjustment.

 

(a)      Upward Adjustments. The number of Unadjusted Shares shall be adjusted as of the Closing upward by a number of shares of Company Common Stock, rounded to the nearest whole number, calculated by dividing (x) the sum of the following amounts (without duplication) by (y) $10.00:

 

(i)     the amount of Contributor’s Transaction Expenses paid by or on behalf of Contributor prior to the Closing, subject to reasonable supporting documentation provided by Contributor to Parent (other than Contributor’s Transaction Expenses paid by the HighPeak Entities);

 

(ii)     the amount of (A) any and all cash contributed by Contributor to any HighPeak Entity, plus (B) any and all amounts paid by Contributor or any of its Affiliates (other than a HighPeak Entity) on behalf of a HighPeak Entity for which Contributor or such Affiliate does not receive reimbursement, in each case, to the extent any such contribution or payment is made during the period that commences on the Effective Date and ends immediately prior to the Closing, subject to reasonable supporting documentation provided by Contributor to Parent and excluding any contributions or payments made in respect of the Extension Payment (which amount shall be included in the adjustment in Section 3.2(a)(iii));

 

(iii)     an amount equal to the sum of any and all amounts paid to Grenadier or put in escrow for the benefit of Grenadier, in each case, prior to the Merger Effective Time and pursuant to the Grenadier PSA, including (x) the amount funded on June 17, 2019, plus (y) the amount of the extension payment funded on August 16, 2019 (the “Extension Payment”), plus (z) all interest accrued on any such amounts contemplated by clause (x) or (y) above, in each case, subject to reasonable supporting documentation of such payments;

 

(iv)     an amount equal to the product of (A) $1,000,000, multiplied by (B) the number of calendar months between the Effective Date and the Closing Date, which amount shall be pro-rated for any partial calendar months during such time period;

 

(v)     the Converted Loan Amount; and

 

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(vi)     any other amounts otherwise agreed upon in writing by the Parties (in the case of approval by Parent, the Special Committee shall approve in writing any such other amounts).

 

(b)      Downward Adjustments. The number of Unadjusted Shares shall be adjusted as of the Closing downward by a number of shares of Company Common Stock, rounded to the nearest whole number, calculated by dividing (x) the sum of the following amounts (without duplication) by (y) $10.00:

 

(i)     the amount of (A) any and all cash and rights to repayment under any Sponsor Loans distributed by the HighPeak Entities, plus (B) any and all revenues of any HighPeak Entity that are paid directly to Contributor or any of its Affiliates (other than a HighPeak Entity) and that are not remitted to such HighPeak Entity, in each case, to the extent distributed or paid during the period that commences on the Effective Date and ends immediately prior to the Closing, subject to reasonable supporting documentation provided by Contributor to Parent; and

 

(ii)     any other amounts otherwise agreed upon in writing by the Parties.

 

(c)     Preliminary Settlement Statement. Not less than five (5) Business Days prior to the Closing, the Contributor Representative shall prepare and submit to the Company for review a draft settlement statement (as updated in accordance herewith, the “Preliminary Settlement Statement”) that shall set forth the Contributor Representative’s good faith estimate of the Stock Consideration (based upon a mutually agreed valuation of the Transferred Interests (excluding the Grenadier Purchase Price) of $711,500,000, and the other adjustments in Section 3.2), reflecting each adjustment made in accordance with this Agreement as of the date of preparation of such Preliminary Settlement Statement, and the calculation of the adjustments used to determine such amount, accompanied by reasonable supporting documentation provided by the Contributor Representative to the Company. The Preliminary Settlement Statement shall also reflect the Contributor Percentage Interest of each Contributor as of the Closing and the allocation of the Stock Consideration among all Contributors in accordance with each Contributor’s respective Contributor Percentage Interests, which stated Contributor Percentage Interest and allocations of Stock Consideration, absent manifest error shall be final and binding and non-disputable by any Parent Party. Within two (2) Business Days after the receipt of the Preliminary Settlement Statement by the Company, the Company shall deliver to the Contributor Representative a written report containing any and all changes that the Company proposes to be made to the Preliminary Settlement Statement together with the explanation therefor and the supporting documents thereof. The Company and the Contributor Representative shall, in good faith, attempt to agree in writing on any changes to the Preliminary Settlement Statement as soon as possible after the Contributor Representative’s receipt of such written report. The Preliminary Settlement Statement, as agreed upon in writing by the Company and the Contributor Representative, will be used to adjust the Unadjusted Shares at the Closing; provided that if the Company and the Contributor Representative do not agree in writing upon any or all of the adjustments set forth in the Preliminary Settlement Statement, then the amount of such un-agreed adjustment(s) shall be that amount set forth in the draft Preliminary Settlement Statement delivered by Contributor to the Company pursuant to this Section 3.2(c); provided, further, that the Contributor Representative may update the Preliminary Settlement Statement up to one (1) Business Day prior to the Closing to reflect any changes in information occurring after the delivery of the initial draft of the Preliminary Settlement Statement; provided, further, that the Contributor Representative may, at any time prior to the final settlement contemplated by Section 3.2(e), provide an updated statement reflecting any corrected or updated Contributor Percentage Interest of each Contributor as of the Closing and the corresponding allocations of Stock Consideration; provided, however, that the number of shares of Company Common Stock issued pursuant to this Section 3.2(c) shall be rounded to the nearest whole number of shares for each Contributor. The Parent Parties shall be entitled to rely on the reported Contributor Percentage Interests and corresponding allocations of Stock Consideration listed in the Preliminary Settlement Statement and any subsequently provided statement contemplated by this Section 3.2(c).

 

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(d)     Final Settlement Statement. On or before ninety (90) days after the Closing, the Company shall prepare and deliver to the Contributor Representative a final settlement statement (the “Final Settlement Statement”), showing the actual adjustments required to be made to the Unadjusted Shares pursuant to Section 3.2(a) and Section 3.2(b) (and any supporting calculations and documentation) and the resulting final Stock Consideration (the “Final Consideration”). As soon as practicable, and in any event within thirty (30) days after the Contributor Representative’s receipt of the Final Settlement Statement, the Contributor Representative shall return to the Company a written report containing any changes to the Final Settlement Statement (including any changes to correct the Contributor Percentage Interests as of Closing), proposed in good faith, and an explanation and any supporting documentation of any such changes (the “Dispute Notice”). Any changes not so specified in the Dispute Notice shall be deemed waived. The Company and the Contributor Representative shall make available to one another such information and records related to the calculation of the adjustments described in Section 3.2(a) and Section 3.2(b) to the extent reasonably necessary for the Company and the Contributor Representative to verify and audit any adjustment(s) proposed by the Company in the draft Final Settlement Statement or by the Contributor Representative in the Dispute Notice. The Company and the Contributor Representative shall work together, in good faith, to resolve any matters addressed in the Dispute Notice.

 

(e)     Resolution of Final Consideration.

 

(i)      If the Contributor Representative fails to timely deliver a Dispute Notice to the Company, the Final Settlement Statement as delivered by the Company will be deemed to be correct and will be final and binding on the Parties and not subject to further audit or arbitration.

 

(ii)     If the Company and the Contributor Representative mutually agree on any changes to the Final Settlement Statement and agree in writing upon the resulting Final Consideration, the Final Settlement Statement (as revised) and the Final Consideration shall be final and binding on the Parties and not subject to further audit or arbitration.

 

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(iii)     If the Company and the Contributor Representative are unable to resolve all of the matters addressed in the Dispute Notice within fifteen (15) Business Days after the delivery of such Dispute Notice by the Contributor Representative to the Company, the Contributor Representative or the Company may, upon notice to the other, submit all unresolved matters addressed in the Dispute Notice to an independent accounting firm mutually agreed by the Company and the Contributor Representative (the “Accounting Arbitrator”) to resolve any such disputed matters in accordance with this Section 3.2(e)(iii). Within twenty (20) Business Days of a matter being submitted to the Accounting Arbitrator by the Company or the Contributor Representative in accordance with the preceding sentence, each of the Company and the Contributor Representative shall summarize its position with regard to such dispute in a written document and submit such summary the Accounting Arbitrator, together with the Dispute Notice, the Final Settlement Statement and any other documentation such Person may desire to submit. Within ten (10) Business Days after receiving the respective submissions from the Company and the Contributor Representative, the Accounting Arbitrator shall render a decision choosing either the Contributor Representative’s position or the Company’s position with respect to each matter addressed in any Dispute Notice, based on the materials described above. Any decision rendered by the Accounting Arbitrator pursuant hereto shall, absent manifest error by the Accounting Arbitrator, be final, conclusive, and binding on the Parties and enforceable against any of the Parties in any court of competent jurisdiction. The costs of the Accounting Arbitrator shall be borne by the Company. The Accounting Arbitrator shall act as an expert for the limited purpose of determining the disputes presented to it, shall be limited to the procedures in this Section 3.2(e)(iii), may not hear or decide any matters except the disputes presented to it and may not award damages, interest, costs, attorneys’ fees, expenses or penalties to any Party. In addition, the Accounting Arbitrator shall agree in writing to keep strictly confidential the specifics and existence of any matters submitted as well as all proprietary records of the Parties, if any, reviewed by the Accounting Arbitrator in the process of resolving such disputes. The Final Settlement Statement and Final Consideration, as revised, by mutual agreement by the Company and the Contributor Representative (if at all) and by the decision rendered by the Accounting Arbitrator shall, absent manifest error by the Accounting Arbitrator, be final and binding on the Parties and not subject to further audit or arbitration.

 

(iv)     Any difference in the Stock Consideration as delivered at the Closing pursuant to the Preliminary Settlement Statement and the Final Consideration shall be delivered by the owing Person(s) within ten (10) Business Days after final determination of such owed amounts in accordance herewith to the owed Person(s). Within five (5) Business Days after the final determination of such owed amounts, the Contributor Representative shall notify the Company and Contributor in writing of the number of shares of Company Common Stock that are to be issued to, or surrendered by, each Contributor, which issuance to, or surrender by, such Person shall be made in a manner such that the final Stock Consideration as determined in accordance with Section 3.2(d) and this Section 3.2(e) is held by each Contributor in accordance with its respective Contributor Percentage Interest; provided, however, that the number of shares of Company Common Stock issued or surrendered pursuant to this Section 3.2(e)(iv) shall be rounded to the nearest whole number of shares for each Contributor. All shares of Company Common Stock delivered pursuant to this Section 3.2(e)(iv) shall be made via book-entry notation by reflecting therein the issuance to the applicable Contributor (with respect to any amount owed by the Company) or surrendering to the Company (with respect to any amount owed by Contributor, as successors to Contributor) the number of shares of Company Common Stock equal to the difference between the Stock Consideration paid at Closing pursuant to the Preliminary Settlement Statement and the Final Consideration as finally determined in accordance with this Section 3.2(e). The Company shall, in reliance on such notice from the Contributor Representative, take such actions as are necessary to effect such book-entry notations.

 

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(f)     Adjustments to Stock Consideration. The Stock Consideration shall be adjusted to reflect fully the effect of any share sub-division or combination, stock dividend (including any dividend or distribution of securities convertible into Parent Common Stock that is subsequently converted into any Company Common Stock), reorganization, recapitalization or other like change with respect to Parent Common Stock occurring after the date hereof and prior to the Merger Effective Time, so as to provide Contributor the same economic effect as contemplated by this Agreement prior to such share sub-division or combination, stock dividend, reorganization, recapitalization or like change.

 

3.3     Closing. The closing of the Transactions (the “Closing”) shall take place at 9:00 a.m., Houston, Texas time (or if the Merger Effective Time has not occurred by such time, immediately following the Merger Effective Time), on a date that is two Business Days (or on such other date as Parent and Contributor may agree in writing) following the satisfaction or (to the extent permitted by applicable Law) waiver in accordance with this Agreement of all of the conditions set forth in Article IX (other than any such conditions which by their nature cannot be satisfied until the Closing Date, which shall be required to be so satisfied or (to the extent permitted by applicable Law) waived in accordance with this Agreement on the Closing Date) at the offices of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. in Houston, Texas, or such other place as Parent and Contributor may agree in writing. For purposes of this Agreement, “Closing Date” means the date on which the Closing occurs. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the consummation of the Business Combination shall be deemed to have occurred immediately following the Merger Effective Time.

 

3.4     Deliveries and Actions at Closing.

 

(a)     At or prior to the Closing, Parent shall deliver, or shall cause to be delivered, the following:

 

(i)       to Contributor, the certificate described in Section 9.2(c);

 

(ii)      to the Company, all of Parent’s cash, including the cash held in the Trust Account but excluding the Parent Stockholder Redemption Amount, unless otherwise agreed by the Parties;

 

(iii)     to each of the Company and the Warrant Agent, a counterpart of the Warrant Agreement Amendment and the Warrant Agreement Assignment, duly executed by the Surviving Corporation (as successor to Parent);

 

(iv)     to HighPeak I, HPEP I and such other Affiliates of the Contributors, if any, specified by HPEP I to whom HPEP I will transfer all or part of its obligations under the Forward Purchase Agreement, an amended and restated Forward Purchase Agreement in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit E (the “Forward Purchase Agreement Amendment”), duly executed by Parent;

 

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(v)       to Contributor, evidence of the resignations, removals and appointments, if any, contemplated by Section 8.19;

 

(vi)      to Contributor, the Certificate of Merger, duly executed by Parent, which shall have been filed in accordance with Section 2.1;

 

(vii)     to Contributor and the Trustee, the documents, opinions, and notices contemplated by the Trust Agreement to be delivered to the Trustee in connection with the consummation of a business combination;

 

(viii)    to Contributor and the Company, an assignment agreement in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit F (the “Assignment Agreement”), duly executed by Parent; and

 

(ix)      any other documents, instruments, records, correspondence, filings, recordings or agreements called for hereunder as shall be reasonably required to consummate the Transactions, which have not previously been delivered.

 

(b)     At or prior to the Closing, Contributor shall deliver, or shall cause to be delivered, the following:

 

(i)       to Parent and the other parties thereto, a counterpart to the Stockholders’ Agreement, duly executed by Contributor;

 

(ii)      to Parent and the other parties thereto, a counterpart to the Registration Rights Agreement, duly executed by Contributor;

 

(iii)     to the Company and Parent, the Assignment Agreement, duly executed by Contributors;

 

(iv)      to the Company, a properly executed certificate prepared in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.1445-2(b) certifying to the non-foreign status of each Contributor;

 

(v)     to the Parent Parties, the certificate described in Section 9.3(c); and

 

(vi)    any other documents, instruments, records, correspondence, filings, recordings or agreements called for hereunder as shall be reasonably required to consummate the Transactions, which have not previously been delivered.

 

(c)     At or prior to the Closing, the Company shall deliver, or shall cause to be delivered, the following:

 

(i)       to Contributor, the Stock Consideration;

 

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(ii)      to Contributor and the other parties thereto, a counterpart to the Stockholders’ Agreement, duly executed by the Company;

 

(iii)     to Contributor and the other parties thereto, a counterpart to the Registration Rights Agreement, duly executed by the Company;

 

(iv)     to Contributor, the certificate described in Section 9.2(c);

 

(v)       to HighPeak Assets II, sufficient cash, when taken together with any cash on-hand as of the Closing of HighPeak Assets II, to fund the Grenadier Closing Cash Payment;

 

(vi)     to HighPeak I, HPEP I and such other Affiliates of the Contributors, if any, specified by HPEP I to whom HPEP I will transfer all or part of its obligations under the Forward Purchase Agreement, the Forward Purchase Agreement Amendment, duly executed by the Company;

 

(vii)     to Contributor and Parent, the Assignment Agreement, duly executed by the Company; and

 

(viii)    to each of Parent and the Warrant Agent, a counterpart of the Warrant Agreement Amendment and Warrant Agreement Assignment, duly executed by the Company;

 

(ix)    any other documents, instruments, records, correspondence, filings, recordings or agreements called for hereunder as shall be reasonably required to consummate the Transactions, which have not previously been delivered.

 

3.5     Legend. Any certificate representing Company Common Stock issued to Contributor pursuant to this Article III shall be imprinted with (or, if such Company Common Stock is uncertificated, the notice required to be delivered to any Person pursuant to Section 151(f) of the DGCL shall contain, in addition to such other information as is expressly required by Section 151(f) of the DGCL) the following legend:

 

“THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND MAY NOT BE SOLD OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, OTHER THAN PURSUANT TO REGISTRATION UNDER SAID ACT OR IN CONFORMITY WITH THE LIMITATIONS OF RULE 144 OR OTHER EXEMPTION AS THEN IN EFFECT, WITHOUT FIRST OBTAINING IF REASONABLY REQUIRED BY THE COMPANY, (I) A WRITTEN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY, WHICH MAY BE COUNSEL TO THE COMPANY, TO THE EFFECT THAT THE CONTEMPLATED SALE OR OTHER DISPOSITION WILL NOT BE IN VIOLATION OF SAID ACT, OR (II) A ‘NO-ACTION’ OR INTERPRETIVE LETTER FROM THE STAFF OF THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION TO THE EFFECT THAT SUCH STAFF WILL TAKE NO ACTION IN RESPECT OF THE CONTEMPLATED SALE OR OTHER DISPOSITION.”

 

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Article IV
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES related to CONTRIBUTOR

 

Except as set forth in the disclosure letter dated as of the date of this Agreement and delivered by Contributor to the Parent Parties on or prior to the date of this Agreement (the “Contributor Disclosure Letter”), each Contributor, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants as to itself and, to the extent applicable, the Transferred Entities only and not as to any other Person, to the Parent Parties as of the date hereof as follows:

 

4.1      Organization, Standing and Power. Each Contributor (a) is a limited partnership or a limited liability company, as applicable, duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the State of Delaware, (b) has all requisite power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as now being conducted and (c) is duly qualified and in good standing to do business in each jurisdiction in which the business it is conducting, or the operation, ownership or leasing of its properties, makes such qualification necessary, other than where the failure to be duly organized, validly existing, to so qualify, to be in good standing or to have such requisite power and authority has not had, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect on Contributor, taken as a whole (a “Contributor Material Adverse Effect”). Each Contributor has heretofore made available to the Company complete and correct copies of its Organizational Documents, in each case, as of the date hereof.

 

4.2      Authority; No Violations; Consents and Approvals.

 

(a)     Each Contributor has all requisite power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to consummate the Transactions applicable to such Contributor. Any and all approvals by the direct and indirect owners of such Contributor necessary or appropriate for such Contributor to consummate the Transactions have been received and are in full force and effect. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by such Contributor and the consummation by each Contributor of the Transactions applicable to such Contributor have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of such Contributor. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by such Contributor and, assuming this Agreement constitutes the valid and binding obligation of the other Parties, constitutes a valid and binding obligation of such Contributor enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforceability, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other Laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general principles of equity regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law (collectively, “Creditors’ Rights”).

 

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(b)     The execution and delivery of this Agreement does not, and the consummation of the Transactions will not, result in any violation of, or default (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) under, or acceleration of any material obligation or the loss, suspension, limitation or impairment of a material benefit under (or right of such Contributor to own or use any assets or properties required for the conduct of its businesses), or result in (or give rise to) the creation of any Encumbrance or any rights of termination, cancellation, preferential purchase rights, first offer or first refusal, in each case, with respect to the Transferred Interests or the assets of any Transferred Entity, including the Grenadier PSA (but not the Grenadier Assets), under any provision of (i) the Organizational Documents of such Contributor, (ii) assuming the consents, approvals and notices referred to in Section 4.2(d) and Section 5.3(c) (in each case, including Immaterial Consents) and Schedule 4.2(d) and Schedule 5.3(c) of the Contributor Disclosure Letter are duly and timely obtained or made, any loan or credit agreement, note, bond, mortgage, indenture, lease or other agreement, permit, franchise or license to which such Contributor is a party or by which such Contributor’s properties or assets are bound or (iii) assuming the consents, approvals, orders, authorizations, notices, registrations, declarations, filings or permits referred to in Section 4.3, Section 5.4 and Schedule 4.3 and Schedule 5.4 of the Contributor Disclosure Letter are duly and timely obtained or made, any Law applicable to such Contributor or any of its properties or assets, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), any such violations, defaults, acceleration, losses, suspensions, limitations, impairments, Encumbrances or rights that (A) have not had, individually or in the aggregate, a Contributor Material Adverse Effect or (B) have not had and are not reasonably likely to result in any loss of (i) any Transferred Interests, (ii) any material assets of any Transferred Entity or (iii) any material Grenadier Assets.

 

(c)     Each Contributor is not in default or violation (and no event has occurred which, with notice or the lapse of time or both, would constitute a default or violation) of any term, condition or provision of the Organizational Documents of such Contributor, except for defaults or violations that (i) have not had, individually or in the aggregate, a Contributor Material Adverse Effect or (ii) have not had and are not reasonably likely to result in, individually or in the aggregate, any loss, cost or liability to Parent Parties in excess of $1,000,000.

 

(d)     No consent or approval from, or notice to, any third party (other than a Governmental Entity or any direct or indirect owners of such Contributor) under any material loan or credit agreement, note, bond, mortgage, indenture, lease or other agreement, permit, franchise or license to which such Contributor is now a party or by which such Contributor or any of its properties or assets is bound is required to be obtained or made by such Contributor in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by such Contributor or the consummation by such Contributor of the Transactions applicable to such Contributor, other than Immaterial Consents.

 

4.3     Governmental Consents. No consent, approval, order or authorization of, notice to, registration, declaration or filing with, or permit from any Governmental Entity is required to be obtained or made by such Contributor in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by such Contributor or the consummation by such Contributor of the Transactions applicable to such Contributor, except for: (a) such filings and approvals as may be required by any applicable federal or state securities or “blue sky” laws and (b) any such consent approval, order, authorization, notice, registration, declaration, filing or permit that the failure to obtain or make (i) has not had, individually or in the aggregate, a Contributor Material Adverse Effect or (ii) has not had and are not reasonably likely to result in, individually or in the aggregate, any loss, cost or liability to Parent Parties in excess of $1,000,000.

 

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4.4      Ownership of the Transferred Interests. Each of HighPeak I, HighPeak II and HighPeak III is the record and beneficial owner of, and has good and valid title to, its respective Contributor Percentage Interest of the issued and outstanding HPK LP Interests, free and clear of all Encumbrances, other than restrictions on transfer that may be imposed by federal or state securities laws or the Organizational Documents of HPK Energy. HPK Energy GP is the record and beneficial owner of, and has good and valid title to, the HPK GP Interests, free and clear of all Encumbrances, other than restrictions on transfer that may be imposed by federal or state securities laws or the Organizational Documents of the HPK Energy. HPK Energy is the record and beneficial owner of, and has good and valid title to, all of the Interests in HighPeak Holdings, HighPeak Assets I and HighPeak Assets II, free and clear of all Encumbrances, other than restrictions on transfer that may be imposed by federal or state securities laws or the Organizational Documents of HighPeak Holdings, HighPeak Assets I or HighPeak Assets II. As of the Closing, HPK Energy will have good and valid title to all of the Interests in HighPeak Employer, free and clear of all Encumbrances, other than restrictions on transfer that may be imposed by federal or state securities laws or the Organizational Documents of HighPeak Employer.

 

4.5      Brokers. No broker, investment banker, or other Person is entitled to any broker’s, finder’s or other similar fee or commission in connection with the Transactions based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of such Contributor.

 

4.6      Accredited Investor; Investment Intent. Each Contributor is an accredited investor as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act. Each Contributor is acquiring the Stock Consideration for its own account for investment and not with a view to, or for sale or other disposition in connection with any distribution of all or any part thereof, except in compliance with applicable federal and state securities Laws.

 

4.7      No Additional Representations.

 

(a)     Except for the representations and warranties made in this Article IV and in Article V, neither such Contributor nor any other Person on behalf of such Contributor makes any express or implied representation or warranty with respect to such Contributor or its businesses, operations, assets, liabilities or conditions (financial or otherwise) in connection with this Agreement or the Transactions or the HighPeak Entities, and such Contributor hereby disclaims any such other representations or warranties. In particular, except for the representations and warranties made by such Contributor in this Article IV and in Article V, and without limiting the foregoing disclaimer, neither such Contributor nor any other Person on behalf of such Contributor makes or has made any representation or warranty to any Parent Party or any of their respective Affiliates or Representatives with respect to, any oral or written information presented to any Parent Party or any of their Affiliates or Representatives in the course of their due diligence investigation of the HighPeak Entities, the negotiation of this Agreement or in the course of the Transactions.

 

(b)     Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, each Contributor acknowledges and agrees that none of the Parent Parties or any other Person has made or is making any representations or warranties relating to any Parent Party whatsoever, express or implied, beyond those expressly given by the applicable Parent Parties in Article VI and in Article VII, including any implied representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information regarding the Parent Parties furnished or made available to any Contributor or any of their Representatives. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, such Contributor acknowledges that none of the Parent Parties or any other Person has made or is making any representations or warranties with respect to any projections, forecasts, estimates, budgets or prospect information that may have been made available to any Contributor or any of their Representatives (including in any online data room, management presentations or any other form in expectation of, or in connection with, the Transactions).

 

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Article V
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
related to the highpeak entities

 

Except as set forth in the Contributor Disclosure Letter, Contributor collectively represents and warrants to the Parent Parties as of the date hereof as follows:

 

5.1     Organization, Standing and Power. Each of the HighPeak Entities (a) is a limited liability company or limited partnership, as applicable, duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the State of Delaware, (b) has all requisite power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as now being conducted and (c) is duly qualified and in good standing to do business in each jurisdiction in which the business it is conducting, or the operation, ownership or leasing of its properties, makes such qualification necessary, other than where the failure to be duly organized, validly existing, to so qualify, to be in good standing or to have such requisite power and authority (i) has not had, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect on the Transferred Entities, taken as a whole (a “HighPeak Material Adverse Effect”), or (ii) has not had and are not reasonably likely to result in, individually or in the aggregate, any loss, cost or liability to Parent Parties in excess of $1,000,000. Contributor has heretofore made available to the Company complete and correct copies of the Organizational Documents of each of the HighPeak Entities, in each case, as of the date hereof. As of the Closing, the Organizational Documents of the HighPeak Entities have not been amended in any respect from the copy made available to the Company, except for any amendments made in accordance with Section 8.1.

 

5.2     Capitalization. The HighPeak Interests represent all of the issued and outstanding Interests in the HighPeak Entities. The HighPeak Interests are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable (except to the extent nonassessability may be affected by Section 18-607 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act or Section 17-607 of the Delaware Limited Partnership Act, as applicable) and the HighPeak Interests are not subject to preemptive rights. There are no options, warrants, calls, rights (including preemptive rights), commitments or agreements to which any HighPeak Entity is a party or by which it is bound in any case obligating such HighPeak Entity to issue, deliver, sell, purchase, redeem or acquire, or cause to be issued, delivered, sold, purchased, redeemed or acquired, Interests in such HighPeak Entity, or obligating such HighPeak Entity to grant, extend or enter into any such option, warrant, call, right, commitment or agreement. There are not any voting or other agreements to which a HighPeak Entity is a party or by which it is bound relating to the voting of any HighPeak Interests. Except for HPK Energy’s Interests in HighPeak Holdings, HighPeak Assets I and HighPeak Assets II, and, as of the Closing, HighPeak Employer, no HighPeak Entity owns any Interest in any other Person or has any option, warrant, call, right, commitment or agreement to acquire any Interest in any other Person.

 

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5.3      No Violations; Consents and Approvals.

 

(a)     The execution and delivery of this Agreement does not, and the consummation of the Transactions will not, result in any violation of, or default (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) under, or acceleration of any material obligation or the loss, suspension, limitation or impairment of a material benefit under (or right of any HighPeak Entity to own or use any assets or properties required for the conduct of their respective businesses, including any of the Oil and Gas Properties owned or held by them) or result in (or give rise to) the creation of any Encumbrance or any rights of termination, cancellation, first offer or first refusal, in each case, with respect to any of the properties or assets of any of the HighPeak Entities (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the Grenadier PSA (but not the Grenadier Assets) and any of the Oil and Gas Properties of the HighPeak Entities) under, any provision of (i) the Organizational Documents of any HighPeak Entity, (ii) assuming the consents, approvals and notices referred to in Section 4.2(c) and Section 5.3(c) (in each case, including Immaterial Consents) and Schedule 4.2(c) and Schedule 5.3(c) of the Contributor Disclosure Letter are duly and timely obtained or made, any Material HighPeak Contract, the Grenadier PSA or an Oil and Gas Lease of any HighPeak Entity or (iii) assuming the consents, approvals, orders, authorizations, notices, registrations, declarations, filings or permits referred to in Section 5.4 and Schedule 4.3 and Schedule 5.4 of the Contributor Disclosure Letter are duly and timely obtained or made, any Law applicable to any applicable HighPeak Entity or any of its properties or assets, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), any such violations, defaults, acceleration, losses, suspensions, limitations, impairments, Encumbrances or rights that (A) have not had, individually or in the aggregate, a HighPeak Material Adverse Effect or (B) have not had and are not reasonably likely to result in, individually or in the aggregate, any loss, cost or liability to Parent Parties in excess of $1,000,000.

 

(b)     No HighPeak Entity is in default or violation (and no event has occurred which, with notice or the lapse of time or both, would constitute a default or violation) of any term, condition or provision of the Organizational Documents of such HighPeak Entity, except for defaults or violations that (i) have not had, individually or in the aggregate, a HighPeak Material Adverse Effect or (ii) have not had and are not reasonably likely to result in, individually or in the aggregate, any loss, cost or liability to Parent Parties in excess of $1,000,000.

 

(c)     No consent or approval from, or notice to, any third party under any Material HighPeak Contract or an Oil and Gas Lease of any HighPeak Entity is required to be obtained or made by any HighPeak Entity in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by Contributor or the consummation of the Transactions, other than Immaterial Consents.

 

5.4     Governmental Consents. No consent, approval, order or authorization of, notice to, registration, declaration or filing with, or permit from any Governmental Entity is required to be obtained or made by any HighPeak Entity in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by Contributor or the consummation of the Transactions, except for: (a) if required by the HSR Act, the filing of a HSR Act notification and report form by such HighPeak Entity or its Ultimate Parent Entity and the expiration or termination of the applicable HSR Act waiting period; (b) such filings and approvals as may be required by any applicable federal or state securities or “blue sky” laws and (c) any such consent, approval, order, authorization, notice, registration, declaration, filing or permit that the failure to obtain or make (i) has not had, individually or in the aggregate, a HighPeak Material Adverse Effect, or (ii) has not had and is not reasonably likely to result in, individually or in the aggregate, any loss, cost or liability to Parent Parties in excess of $1,000,000.

 

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5.5      Financial Statements.

 

(a)     Contributor has made available to the Company (i) the unaudited consolidated balance sheet of each of HPEP I and HPEP II (which includes the financial information of the applicable HighPeak Entity(ies) as noted therein) as of September 30, 2019 (the “Balance Sheet Date”) and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in partners’ capital and cash flows for the nine-month period then-ended, as well as the unaudited balance sheet of HighPeak Employer as of September 30, 2019 and as of December 31, 2018 (collectively, the financial statements described in this clause (i), the “Unaudited Financial Statements”) and (ii) the audited consolidated balance sheet of each of HPEP I and HPEP II (which includes the financial information of the applicable HighPeak Entity(ies) as noted therein) as of December 31, 2018 and the related statements of operations, changes in partners’ capital and cash flows for the twelve-month period then-ended (collectively, the financial statements described in this clause (ii), the “Audited Financial Statements,” and together with the Unaudited Financial Statements, the “Financial Statements”).

 

(b)     The Financial Statements, to the extent they relate to the financial information of the Transferred Entities, (i) have been prepared based upon the books of account and other financial records of the Transferred Entities, (ii) have been prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied using the same accounting principles, policies and methods as have historically been used in connection with the calculation of the items reflected thereon, except, solely with respect to the Unaudited Financial Statements, for (A) the absence of footnotes and (B) normal year-end adjustments which are not material to the Transferred Entities, taken as a whole and (iii) fairly present, in all material respects, the financial position and performance of the Transferred Entities as of the dates thereof and for the periods set forth therein.

 

(c)     Contributor has made available to the Company the most recent, true and correct copies of any and all Audited Financials, Required Seller Information, Additional Financial Statements and Additional Information (in each case, as such term is defined in the Grenadier PSA) that Contributor has received from Grenadier in accordance with Section 7.08 of the Grenadier PSA, at least one Business Day prior to the execution of this Agreement.

 

5.6      Absence of Certain Changes or Events.

 

(a)     Since August 1, 2019, there has not been any event, change, effect or development that, individually or in the aggregate, has had a HighPeak Material Adverse Effect.

 

(b)     From August 1, 2019 through the date of this Agreement, the Transferred Entities have conducted their business in the ordinary course of business in all material respects, other than the negotiation and execution of this Agreement and the Transactions contemplated hereby.

 

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5.7      No Undisclosed Material Liabilities. There are no liabilities of any Transferred Entity, whether accrued, contingent, absolute, determined, determinable or otherwise, other than: (a) liabilities adequately provided for in the Unaudited Financial Statements; (b) liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business subsequent to the Balance Sheet Date; (c) liabilities incurred in connection with any emergency on any of the oil and gas properties or assets of the HighPeak Entities, in any case incurred subsequent to the Balance Sheet Date; (d) liabilities for fees and expenses incurred in connection with, or in furtherance of, the Transactions; (e) liabilities not required to be presented on the face of an unaudited interim balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP; (f) liabilities incurred as permitted under Section 8.1(b); and (g) liabilities which have not had, individually or in the aggregate, a HighPeak Material Adverse Effect and have not and are not reasonably likely to exceed, individually and in the aggregate, $20,000,000.

 

5.8      HighPeak Permits; Compliance with Applicable Law.

 

(a)     The HighPeak Entities hold all franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements, variances, exemptions, consents, certificates, approvals and orders of all Governmental Entities necessary for the lawful conduct of their respective businesses (the “HighPeak Permits”), except where the failure to so hold (i) has not had, individually or in the aggregate, a HighPeak Material Adverse Effect and (ii) has not had and is not reasonably likely to result in, individually or in the aggregate, any loss, cost or liability to Parent Parties in excess of $1,000,000. The HighPeak Entities are in compliance with the terms of the HighPeak Permits in all material respects. As of the date hereof, no investigation or review by any Governmental Entity with respect to any HighPeak Entity is pending or, to Contributor’s Knowledge, threatened, other than those the outcome of which is not reasonably expected (A) to have, individually or in the aggregate, a HighPeak Material Adverse Effect or (B) to result in, individually or in the aggregate, any loss, cost or liability to Parent Parties in excess of $1,000,000.

 

(b)     Except with respect to compensation, benefits and labor matters (which are provided for in Section 5.10 and Section 5.11), Tax matters (which are provided for in Section 5.10 and Section 5.12) and environmental matters (which are provided for in Section 5.14), the HighPeak Entities are in compliance with and are not in default under or in violation of, any applicable Law, except where such non-compliance, default or violation (i) has not had, individually or in the aggregate, a HighPeak Material Adverse Effect or (ii) has not had and is not reasonably likely to result in, individually or in the aggregate, any loss, cost or liability to Parent Parties in excess of $1,000,000. As of the date hereof, no HighPeak Entity has received any written communication since December 31, 2018 from a Governmental Entity that alleges that a HighPeak Entity is not in compliance with, in all material respects, or is in default or violation of, any applicable Law.

 

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5.9      Litigation. Except for such matters as have not had, individually or in the aggregate, a HighPeak Material Adverse Effect, there is no (a) Proceeding pending, or, to Contributor’s Knowledge, threatened against any HighPeak Entity or (b) judgment, settlement, decree, injunction, ruling or order of any Governmental Entity or arbitrator outstanding against any HighPeak Entity, in each case, that would be reasonably likely to materially interfere with the business of such HighPeak Entity as currently conducted, or after the Closing, the business of Parent Parties as proposed to be conducted.

 

5.10     Compensation; Benefits.

 

(a)     Schedule 5.10(a) of the Contributor Disclosure Letter identifies each material Employee Benefit Plan sponsored, maintained or contributed to by any Transferred Entity or with respect to which any Transferred Entity has any liability, excluding any Employee Benefit Plans maintained by any professional employer organization (each, a “HighPeak Plan”). Contributor has made available to the Company, with respect to each HighPeak Plan, as applicable: (i) the plan document and (ii) to the extent applicable, the summary plan descriptions and summaries of material modifications thereto.

 

(b)     None of the Transferred Entities has contributed to, has ever had an obligation to contribute to, or had any liability with respect to (including contingent liability), and none of the HighPeak Plans are, (i) an Employee Benefit Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA (including a multiemployer plan within the meaning of Section 3(37) of ERISA) or (ii) except as required by applicable Law, an Employee Benefit Plan that provides post-termination or retiree health or welfare benefits to any Person.

 

(c)     Except as would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a HighPeak Material Adverse Effect, each HighPeak Plan has been administered in accordance with its terms and all applicable Laws, including ERISA and the Code.

 

(d)     Neither the execution of this Agreement nor the consummation of the Transactions will, alone or together with any other transaction or event, (i) accelerate the time of payment or vesting under any HighPeak Plan or (ii) increase the amount of compensation or benefits due to any Person or result in the funding or payment of any compensation or benefits or forgiveness of any loan or payment of any severance under any HighPeak Plan.

 

(e)     No amount or benefit that could be, or has been, received (whether in cash or property or the vesting of property or the cancellation of indebtedness) by any “disqualified individual” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code would reasonably be expected to be characterized as an “excess parachute payment” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(1) of the Code) as a result of the consummation of the Transactions. No HighPeak Plan provides for the gross-up of or reimbursement for any Taxes imposed by Sections 4999 or 409A of the Code.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, the representations and warranties in this Section 5.10 and in Section 5.11 are the only representations and warranties in this Agreement with respect to compensation and benefit matters of the Transferred Entities.

 

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5.11    Labor Matters.

 

(a)     As of the date of this Agreement, (i) none of the Transferred Entities is a party to any collective bargaining agreement or other agreement with any labor union, (ii) to Contributor’s Knowledge, there is no pending union representation petition involving employees of the Transferred Entities, and (iii) there is no pending or, to Contributor’s Knowledge, threatened organizational activity of any labor organization (or representative thereof) or employee group (or representative thereof) to organize any such employees.

 

(b)     As of the date of this Agreement, there is no unfair labor practice, charge or material grievance arising out of a collective bargaining agreement, other agreement with any labor union, or other labor-related grievance Proceeding against the Transferred Entities pending, or, to Contributor’s Knowledge, threatened.

 

(c)     As of the date of this Agreement, there is no strike, dispute, slowdown, work stoppage or lockout pending, or, to Contributor’s Knowledge, threatened, against or involving any Transferred Entity.

 

(d)     The Transferred Entities are, as of the date of this Agreement, in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Laws respecting employment and employment practices, and, as of the date of this Agreement, there are no Proceedings pending or, to Contributor’s Knowledge, threatened against the Transferred Entities, by or on behalf of any applicant for employment, any current or former employee or any class of the foregoing, relating to any of the foregoing applicable Laws, or alleging breach of any express or implied contract of employment, wrongful termination of employment, or alleging any other discriminatory, wrongful or tortious conduct in connection with the employment relationship, in each case, other than any such matters described in this sentence that (i) have not had, individually or in the aggregate, a HighPeak Material Adverse Effect or (ii) have not had and are not reasonably likely to result in, individually or in the aggregate, any loss, cost or liability to Parent Parties in excess of $1,000,000.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, the representations and warranties in Section 5.10 and this Section 5.11 are the only representations and warranties in this Agreement with respect to compensation, benefits and labor matters of the Transferred Entities.

 

5.12    Taxes.

 

(a)     All material Tax Returns required to be filed by or with respect to the Transferred Entities or with respect to the assets of the Transferred Entities have been duly and timely filed (taking into account extension of time for filing) with the appropriate Governmental Entity, and all such Tax Returns were true, correct and complete in all material respects. All material Taxes owed by the Transferred Entities (or for which the Transferred Entities may be liable) that are or have become due have been timely paid in full (regardless of whether shown on any Tax Return). All material withholding Tax requirements imposed on or with respect to any Transferred Entity have been satisfied in full. There are no material Encumbrances (other than Permitted Encumbrances) on any of the assets of the Transferred Entities that arose in connection with any failure (or alleged failure) to pay any Tax.

 

(b)     There is no material Proceeding currently pending against a Transferred Entity or with respect to the assets of a Transferred Entity in respect of any Tax or Tax Return.

 

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(c)     There is not in force any waiver or agreement for any extension of time for the assessment, collection or payment of any material Tax by any Transferred Entity.

 

(d)     There is no outstanding material claim, assessment or deficiency against any Transferred Entity for any Taxes that has been asserted in writing by any Governmental Entity.

 

(e)     No written claim has been made by any Governmental Entity to Contributor (or its Affiliates) or a Transferred Entity in a jurisdiction where a Transferred Entity does not file a Tax Return that it is or may be subject to Tax in such jurisdiction, nor has any such assertion been threatened or proposed in writing and received by either Contributor, its Affiliates or a Transferred Entity.

 

(f)     No Transferred Entity is a party to any material agreement or arrangement relating to the apportionment, sharing, assignment or allocation of Taxes, other than any customary Tax sharing or indemnification provisions contained in any agreement entered into in the ordinary course of business and not primarily relating to Tax.

 

(g)     No Transferred Entity has participated, nor is any Transferred Entity currently participating, in any listed transactions within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.6011-4.

 

(h)     Each of the HighPeak Entities presently is properly classified as a partnership or an entity disregarded as separate from its owner for U.S. federal income tax purposes, has been since formation properly classified as either a partnership or an entity disregarded as separate from its owner for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and each of the HighPeak Entities other than HPK Energy will be at the Closing properly classified as an entity disregarded as separate from its owner for U.S. federal income tax purposes. No HighPeak Entity has made any filing with any Tax authority, including Form 8832 with the IRS, to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation for income Tax purposes.

 

(i)     None of the assets of any HighPeak Entity are subject to a tax partnership agreement or otherwise treated, or required to be treated, as held in an arrangement requiring a partnership income Tax Return to be filed under Subchapter K of Chapter 1 of Subtitle A of the Code.

 

(j)     HighPeak Employer is properly classified as an association taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

(k)     Other than for purposes of Texas franchise tax, no Transferred Entity is or has ever been, a member of an affiliated group filing a consolidated income Tax Return nor has any liability for the Taxes of any Person under Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-6 (or any comparable provision of foreign, state or local Tax Law), as a transferee or successor, or otherwise by operation of Law.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, the representations and warranties in this Section 5.12 and Section 5.10 are the only representations and warranties in this Agreement with respect to Tax matters of the Transferred Entities.

 

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5.13    Oil and Gas Matters.

 

(a)     Except to the extent Aggregate Title Losses do not exceed the Title Threshold and except for property sold or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of business since the date of the reserve reports prepared by Cawley, Gillespie & Associates, Inc. (the “HighPeak Independent Petroleum Engineers”) as of August 1, 2019 relating to the Oil and Gas Properties owned by the applicable HighPeak Entity referred to in each such reserve report, copies of which are attached to Schedule 5.13(a) of the Contributor Disclosure Letter (collectively, the “HighPeak Reserve Report”), the HighPeak Entities have Good and Defensible Title to all Oil and Gas Properties forming the basis for the reserves reflected in the HighPeak Reserve Report and, in each case, as attributable to interests owned by the HighPeak Entities. The term “Good and Defensible Title” means that a HighPeak Entity’s title (as of the date hereof and as of the Closing) to each of the Oil and Gas Properties held or owned by it (or purported to be held or owned by it as reflected in the HighPeak Reserve Report) (A) entitles such HighPeak Entity to receive (after satisfaction of all Production Burdens applicable thereto), not less than the net revenue interest share shown in (or, if not shown, the net revenue interest used by the HighPeak Independent Petroleum Engineers in the determination of the reserves shown in) the HighPeak Reserve Report of all Hydrocarbons produced from such Oil and Gas Properties throughout the life of such Oil and Gas Properties, except for (I) decreases in connection with those operations in which the HighPeak Entities or their successors or assigns may, from and after the date of this Agreement and in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, elect to be a non-consenting co-owner, (II) decreases resulting from the establishment or amendment, from and after the date of this Agreement, of pools or units in accordance with this Agreement and (III) decreases required after the date of this Agreement to allow other working interest owners to make up past underproduction or pipelines to make up past under deliveries, (B) obligates such HighPeak Entity to bear a percentage of the costs and expenses for the maintenance and development of, and operations relating to, such Oil and Gas Properties, of not greater than the working interest shown in (or, if not shown, the working interest used by the HighPeak Independent Petroleum Engineers in the determination of the reserves shown in) the HighPeak Reserve Report for such Oil and Gas Properties (other than any positive differences in such percentage) and the applicable working interest shown on the HighPeak Reserve Report for such Oil and Gas Properties that are accompanied by a proportionate (or greater) net revenue interest in such Oil and Gas Properties, except for (I) increases resulting from contribution requirements with respect to defaulting co-owners from and after the date of this Agreement under applicable operating agreements or (II) increases to the extent that such increases are accompanied by a proportionate increase in the net revenue interest of the HighPeak Entities and (C) is free and clear of all Encumbrances (other than Permitted Encumbrances). Attached to Schedule 5.13(a) of the Contributor Disclosure Letter is a true and complete copy of a reserve report obtained from an independent petroleum engineer with respect to the Grenadier Assets.

 

(b)     As of the date hereof, except to the extent Aggregate Title Losses do not exceed the Title Threshold, the HighPeak Entities hold defensible title (that is either of record or in which the HighPeak Entities have contractual rights) to Oil and Gas Leases covering not less than the number of gross acres and Net Mineral Acres and the geological formations in Howard and Borden Counties, Texas as described under the caption “Information About the Target Assets—HighPeak Assets” in the Proxy Statement, subject to Permitted Encumbrances. The term “Net Mineral Acres” means, with respect to each Oil and Gas Lease of the HighPeak Entities in Howard County and Borden County, Texas, (i) the number of gross acres in the lands covered by such Oil and Gas Lease, multiplied by (ii) the undivided mineral interest in such lands covered by such Oil and Gas Lease, multiplied by (iii) the applicable HighPeak Entity’s working interest in such Oil and Gas Lease.

 

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(c)     The factual, non-interpretive data supplied to the HighPeak Independent Petroleum Engineers relating to the Oil and Gas Properties covered by the HighPeak Reserve Report, by or on behalf of the HighPeak Entities that was material to such firm’s estimates of oil and gas reserves attributable to the Oil and Gas Properties of the HighPeak Entities in connection with the preparation of the HighPeak Reserve Report was, as of the time provided, accurate in all material respects. Except for changes generally affecting the oil and gas exploration, development and production industry (including changes in commodity prices) and normal depletion by production, to Contributor’s Knowledge, there have been no changes in respect of the matters addressed in the HighPeak Reserve Report that have had, individually or in the aggregate, a HighPeak Material Adverse Effect.

 

(d)     Except as has not had, individually or in the aggregate, a HighPeak Material Adverse Effect, (i) all rentals, shut-ins and similar payments owed to any Person or individual under (or otherwise with respect to) any such Oil and Gas Properties have been properly and timely paid, (ii) all royalties, minimum royalties, overriding royalties and other Production Burdens with respect to any Oil and Gas Properties owned or held by a HighPeak Entity have been timely and properly paid and (iii) as of the date hereof, no HighPeak Entity has received written notice from any other party to any such Oil and Gas Lease that such HighPeak Entity is in breach or default under any Oil and Gas Lease.

 

(e)     All material proceeds from the sale of Hydrocarbons produced from the Oil and Gas Properties of the HighPeak Entities are being received by them in a timely manner and are not being held in suspense for any reason other than (i) awaiting preparation and approval of division order title opinions for recently drilled wells or (ii) as may be permitted by applicable Law.

 

(f)     All Hydrocarbon, water, CO2 or injection wells located on any of the Oil and Gas Properties of any HighPeak Entity have been drilled, completed and operated, in all material respects, within the limits permitted by the applicable Oil and Gas Lease or Material HighPeak Contract.

 

(g)     As of the date hereof, there is no well included in the Oil and Gas Properties of any HighPeak Entity that is subject to any order from any Governmental Entity or written notice pursuant to an Oil and Gas Lease or a Material HighPeak Contract from any other third party requiring that such well be plugged and abandoned.

 

(h)     As of the date of this Agreement, there is no outstanding authorization for expenditure or similar request or invoice for funding or participation under any agreement or contract which is binding on any HighPeak Entity or any Oil and Gas Properties and which Contributor reasonably anticipates will individually require expenditures by a HighPeak Entity in excess of $100,000.

 

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(i)     No HighPeak Entity is obligated by virtue of a prepayment arrangement, make up right under a production sales contract containing a “take or pay” or similar provision, production payment or any other similar arrangement (other than gas balancing arrangements) to deliver Hydrocarbons or proceeds from the sale thereof, attributable to the Oil and Gas Properties of such Person at some future time without then or thereafter receiving the full contract price therefor.

 

(j)     Except to the extent Aggregate Title Losses do not exceed the Title Threshold, no HighPeak Entity is in breach or default of, in any material respect, any of its Oil and Gas Leases or any pooling agreement, production sharing agreement or similar agreement covering any such Oil and Gas Lease. As of the date hereof, no HighPeak Entity has received from any applicable lessor any written notice of any material default or material breach by such HighPeak Entity under any Oil and Gas Lease for which default or breach has not been cured or remedied.

 

(k)     There are no preferential purchase rights or rights of first or last offer, negotiation or refusal in joint operating agreements, participation agreements or other contracts or agreements binding upon the Oil and Gas Properties of the HighPeak Entities that would be triggered by the consummation of the Transactions and result in a loss of any material portion of such Oil and Gas Properties.

 

5.14    Environmental Matters. Except for those matters that have not had, individually or in the aggregate, a HighPeak Material Adverse Effect:

 

(a)     the HighPeak Entities and their respective operations and assets are in compliance with Environmental Laws and such compliance includes holding and maintaining all HighPeak Permits issued pursuant to Environmental Laws required for the operations of the HighPeak Entities as presently conducted;

 

(b)     the HighPeak Entities are not subject to any pending or, to Contributor’s Knowledge, threatened Proceeding under Environmental Laws and, to Contributor’s Knowledge, there are no facts or circumstances that could reasonably be expected to give rise to any such liability or obligation;

 

(c)     there have been no Releases of Hazardous Materials at any property owned, operated or otherwise used by any HighPeak Entity, which Releases are reasonably likely to result in a liability to a HighPeak Entity under Environmental Law; and

 

(d)     as of the date hereof, no HighPeak Entity has received any written notice asserting a liability or obligation under any Environmental Laws with respect to the investigation, remediation, removal, or monitoring of the Release of any Hazardous Materials at or from any property owned, operated, or otherwise used by any HighPeak Entity.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, the representations and warranties in this Section 5.14 are the only representations and warranties in this Agreement with respect to environmental matters of the HighPeak Entities.

 

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5.15    Material Contracts.

 

(a)     Other than the Grenadier PSA and the HighPeak Employer PSA, Schedule 5.15(a) of the Contributor Disclosure Letter sets forth a true and complete list, as of the date of this Agreement, of the following contracts to which a Transferred Entity is a party or by which its assets are otherwise bound:

 

(i)      each contract that provides for the acquisition, disposition, license, use, distribution, provision or outsourcing of Hydrocarbons, assets, services, rights or properties (other than Oil and Gas Properties) with respect to which Contributor reasonably expects that a HighPeak Entity will make payments in excess of $100,000 annually or $1,000,000 in the aggregate for the remaining term of such contract;

 

(ii)     each contract that constitutes a commitment relating to Indebtedness for borrowed money or the deferred purchase price of property by a Transferred Entity (whether incurred, assumed, guaranteed or secured by any asset);

 

(iii)    each contract for lease of personal property or real property (other than Oil and Gas Leases) involving aggregate payments in excess of $100,000 in any calendar year, or $1,000,000 in the aggregate for the remaining term of such contract, that are not terminable without penalty within ninety (90) days, other than contracts related to drilling rigs;

 

(iv)    each contract containing any area of mutual interest, joint bidding area, joint acquisition area, or non-compete or similar type of provision that materially restricts the ability of a Transferred Entity to compete with respect to any Oil and Gas Properties in Howard County or Borden County, Texas, during any period of time after the Closing;

 

(v)      each contract involving the pending acquisition or sale of (or option to purchase or sell) any material amount of the assets or properties of the HighPeak Entities, taken as a whole, other than contracts for the sale of Hydrocarbons by the HighPeak Entities in the ordinary course of business;

 

(vi)     each contract for any interest rate, commodity or currency protection (including any swaps, collars, caps or similar hedging obligations);

 

(vii)    each partnership, joint venture or limited liability company agreement, other than any customary joint operating agreements, unit agreements or participation agreements affecting the Oil and Gas Properties of any Transferred Entity;

 

(viii)   each joint development agreement, exploration agreement, participation, farmout, farmin or program agreement or similar contract requiring a HighPeak Entity to make expenditures that would reasonably be expected to be in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate during the twelve (12)-month period following the date of this Agreement, other than customary joint operating agreements and continuous development obligations under Oil and Gas Leases;

 

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(ix)     each agreement under which a HighPeak Entity has advanced or loaned any amount of money to any of its officers, directors, employees or consultants;

 

(x)      any contract that provides for a “take-or-pay” clause or any similar prepayment obligation, acreage dedication, minimum volume commitments or capacity reservation fees to a gathering, transportation or other arrangement downstream of the wellhead, that is not terminable without penalty within ninety (90) days;

 

(xi)     each contract that is a gathering, transportation, processing or similar agreement to which a HighPeak Entity is a party involving the gathering, transportation, processing or treatment of Hydrocarbons that is not terminable without penalty within ninety (90) days;

 

(xii)    any contract involving a HighPeak Entity, on the one hand, and Contributor, any of Contributor’s Affiliates or any executive officer or director of a HighPeak Entity, on the other hand;

 

(xiii)   any contract that, upon the consummation of the Transactions, would (either alone or upon the occurrence of any additional acts or events, including the passage of time) result in any payment or benefit (whether of severance pay or otherwise) becoming due, or the acceleration or vesting of any right to any payment or benefits, from a Transferred Entity to any officer, director, consultant or employee of any of the foregoing; and

 

(xiv)   each agreement that contains any standstill, “most favored nation” or most favored customer provision, preferential right or rights of first or last offer, negotiation or refusal, in each case, that is material to the business of any of the Transferred Entities, taken as a whole, other than those contained in (A) any agreement in which such provision is solely for the benefit of a Transferred Entity or (B) customary royalty pricing provisions in Oil and Gas Leases.

 

(b)     Collectively, the contracts set forth in Section 5.15(a) are herein referred to as the “Material HighPeak Contracts.” Except for any Material HighPeak Contract that terminated pursuant to its terms between the date of this Agreement and the Closing, each Material HighPeak Contract is legal, valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with its terms on the HighPeak Entity that is a party thereto and, to Contributor’s Knowledge, each other Person party thereto, and is in full force and effect, subject, as to enforceability, to Creditors’ Rights. No HighPeak Entity is in breach or default, in any material respect, under any Material HighPeak Contract nor, to Contributor’s Knowledge, is any other Person party to any such Material HighPeak Contract in breach or default, in any material respect, thereunder. To Contributor’s Knowledge, no event has occurred which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a default in any material respect under any Material HighPeak Contract on the part of any of the parties thereto. As of the date hereof, no HighPeak Entity has received written notice of termination, cancellation or material modification of any Material HighPeak Contract. Contributor has heretofore made available to the Company complete and correct copies of the Material HighPeak Contracts.

 

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(c)     Contributor has made available to the Company a true and complete copy of any notices under the Grenadier PSA to the extent such notices relate to a known or reasonably expected inability to satisfy one of the conditions to the Grenadier Closing set forth in Article VIII or Article IX of the Grenadier PSA (a “Material Grenadier Notice”). The Grenadier PSA (i) is legal, valid, binding and enforceable on HighPeak Assets II and, to Contributor’s Knowledge, Grenadier, (ii) is in full force and effect, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (ii), as may be limited by Creditors’ Rights generally and (iii) as of the date hereof, constitutes the entire agreement between HighPeak Assets II and Grenadier concerning the subject matter thereof and there are no other side agreements or other agreements of such parties concerning the subject matter thereof that are not expressly contemplated thereby. HighPeak Assets II is not in breach or default under the Grenadier PSA, nor to Contributor’s Knowledge, is Grenadier in breach or default thereunder. To Contributor’s Knowledge, no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a default under the Grenadier PSA on the part of HighPeak Assets II or Grenadier.

 

(d)     Contributor has made available to the Company a true and complete copy of the HighPeak Employer PSA and all schedules and exhibits thereto, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit G hereto. The HighPeak Employer PSA (i) is legal, valid, binding and enforceable on HPK Energy and, to Contributor’s Knowledge, the other party thereto, (ii) is in full force and effect, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (ii), as may be limited by Creditors’ Rights generally, (iii) has not been further amended without the prior consent of Parent and (iv) constitutes the entire agreement of the parties thereto concerning the subject matter thereof and there are no other side agreements or other agreements concerning the subject matter thereof that are not expressly contemplated thereby.

 

5.16     Insurance. Set forth on Schedule 5.16 of the Contributor Disclosure Letter is a true, correct and complete list of as of the date of this Agreement of all material insurance policies held by the Transferred Entities or held by any Affiliate of a Transferred Entity under which a Transferred Entity is named as an additional insured (collectively, the “Material HighPeak Insurance Policies”). Each of the Material HighPeak Insurance Policies is in full force and effect on the date of this Agreement and a true, correct and complete copy of each Material HighPeak Insurance Policy has been made available to the Company to the extent requested by the Company prior to the date of this Agreement. All premiums payable under the Material HighPeak Insurance Policies prior to the date of this Agreement have been duly paid to date. As of the date of this Agreement, no written notice of cancellation or termination has been received with respect to any Material HighPeak Insurance Policy and none of the insurers have denied any coverage, in whole or in part, for any pending claims that have been submitted by or on behalf of any Transferred Entity under a policy with such insurers.

 

5.17     Brokers. No broker, investment banker, or other Person is entitled to any broker’s, finder’s or other similar fee or commission in connection with the Transactions based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of any HighPeak Entity.

 

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5.18     Information Supplied. The information supplied or to be supplied by Contributor for inclusion in the Proxy Statement will not, at the time the Proxy Statement is first mailed to the stockholders of Parent and at the time of any meeting of Parent stockholders to be held in connection with the Transactions, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading, except that no representation or warranty is made by Contributor with respect to statements made or incorporated by reference therein based on information supplied by any Parent Party for inclusion therein.

 

Article VI
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF the COMPANY AND MERGER SUB

 

The Company and Merger Sub (collectively, the “Parent Subsidiaries”), jointly and severally, represent and warrant to Contributor as of the date hereof as follows:

 

6.1      Organization, Standing and Power. Each Parent Subsidiary (a) is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the State of Delaware, (b) has all requisite power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as now being conducted and (c) is duly qualified and in good standing to do business in each jurisdiction in which the business it is conducting, or the operation, ownership or leasing of its properties, makes such qualification necessary, other than where the failure to be duly organized, validly existing, to so qualify, to be in good standing or to have such requisite power and authority has not had, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect on either Parent Subsidiary (a “Parent Subsidiary Material Adverse Effect”). Each Parent Subsidiary has heretofore made available to Contributor complete and correct copies of its Organizational Documents, in each case, as of the date hereof. As of the Closing, the Organizational Documents of the Parent Subsidiaries have not been amended in any respect from the made available to Contributor, except for any amendments made in connection with this Agreement or the Transactions.

 

6.2      Authority; No Violations; Consents and Approvals.

 

(a)     Each Parent Subsidiary has all requisite power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to consummate the Transactions applicable to such Parent Subsidiary, subject to receipt of the Parent Stockholder Approval, the Company Stockholder Approval and the Merger Sub Stockholder Approval. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Parent Subsidiaries and, subject to receipt of the Company Stockholder Approval and the Merger Sub Stockholder Approval, the consummation by the Parent Subsidiaries of the Transactions applicable to each such Parent Subsidiary have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of such Parent Subsidiary. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by each Parent Subsidiary and, assuming this Agreement constitutes the valid and binding obligation of the other Parties, constitutes a valid and binding obligation of each Parent Subsidiary enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforceability, to Creditors’ Rights and to receipt of the Parent Stockholder Approval, Company Stockholder Approval and Merger Sub Stockholder Approval.

 

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(b)     The execution and delivery of this Agreement does not, and the consummation of the Transactions will not, result in any violation of, or default (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) under, or acceleration of any material obligation or the loss, suspension, limitation or impairment of a material benefit under (or right of a Parent Subsidiary to own or use any assets or properties required for the conduct of its business) or result in (or give rise to) the creation of any Encumbrance or any rights of termination, cancellation, first offer or first refusal, in each case, with respect to any of the properties or assets of a Parent Subsidiary under, any provision of (i) the Organizational Documents of a Parent Subsidiary, (ii) any loan or credit agreement, note, bond, mortgage, indenture, lease or other agreement, permit, franchise or license to which a Parent Subsidiary is a party or by which the properties or assets of a Parent Subsidiary are bound or (iii) assuming the consents, approvals, orders, authorizations, notices, registrations, declarations, filings or permits referred to in Section 6.2(d) (including Immaterial Consents) are duly and timely obtained or made, any Law applicable to a Parent Subsidiary or any properties or assets of a Parent Subsidiary, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), any such violations, defaults, acceleration, losses, suspensions, limitations, impairments, Encumbrances or rights that have not had, individually or in the aggregate, a Parent Subsidiary Material Adverse Effect.

 

(c)     No Parent Subsidiary is in default or violation (and no event has occurred which, with notice or the lapse of time or both, would constitute a default or violation) of any term, condition or provision of (i) the Organizational Documents of a Parent Subsidiary or (ii) any loan or credit agreement, note, bond, mortgage, indenture, lease or other agreement, permit, franchise or license to which a Parent Subsidiary is a party or by which a Parent Subsidiary or any properties or assets of a Parent Subsidiary is bound, except for defaults or violations that have not had, individually or in the aggregate, a Parent Subsidiary Material Adverse Effect.

 

(d)     No consent or approval from, or notice to, any third party (other than a Governmental Entity) under any material loan or credit agreement, note, bond, mortgage, indenture, lease or other agreement, permit, franchise or license to which a Parent Subsidiary is now a party or by which a Parent Subsidiary or any properties or assets of a Parent Subsidiary is bound is required to be obtained or made by a Parent Subsidiary in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Parent Subsidiaries or the consummation by the Parent Subsidiaries of the Transactions applicable to the Parent Subsidiaries, other than the Parent Stockholder Approval and Immaterial Consents.

 

6.3      Governmental Consents. No consent, approval, order or authorization of, or registration, declaration or filing with, or permit from any Governmental Entity is required to be obtained or made by a Parent Subsidiary in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Parent Subsidiaries or the consummation by the Parent Subsidiaries of the Transactions applicable to the Parent Subsidiaries, except for: (a) if required by the HSR Act, the filing of a HSR Act notification and report form by a Parent Subsidiary or the Ultimate Parent Entity of a Parent Subsidiary, (b) such filings and approvals as may be required by Nasdaq, NYSE or the SEC or any applicable federal or state securities or “blue sky” laws, including the Proxy Statement and (c) any such consent approval, order, authorization, notice, registration, declaration, filing or permit that the failure to obtain or make has not had, individually or in the aggregate, a Parent Subsidiary Material Adverse Effect.

 

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6.4      Capitalization and Assets.

 

(a)     As of the date of this Agreement, the authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 10,000 shares of Company Common Stock and the authorized capital stock of Merger Sub consists of 10,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Prior to the Closing, all of the outstanding Interests in the Company are and will continue to be held by Parent and all of the outstanding Interests in Merger Sub are and will continue to be held by the Company. All such Interests are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and no such Interests are subject to preemptive rights. Other than this Agreement and the Grenadier PSA and, as of the Closing, the Forward Purchase Agreement Amendment, any rights a Person may acquire with respect to the PIPE Investment, the LTIP, the Company Warrants and shares of Company Common Stock that will be reserved for issuance upon the exercise of Company Warrants, there are no options, warrants, calls, rights (including preemptive rights), commitments or agreements to which a Parent Subsidiary is a party or by which it is bound in any case obligating a Parent Subsidiary to issue, deliver, sell, purchase, redeem or acquire, or cause to be issued, delivered, sold, purchased, redeemed or acquired, Interests in a Parent Subsidiary, or obligating a Parent Subsidiary to grant, extend or enter into any such option, warrant, call, right, commitment or agreement. There are not any voting or other agreements to which a Parent Subsidiary is a party or by which it is bound relating to the voting of any Interests in a Parent Subsidiary.

 

(b)     At the Closing, (x) the shares of Company Common Stock representing the Stock Consideration, (y) the shares of Company Common Stock into which shares of Parent Common Stock will be converted pursuant to Section 2.6 and (z) the shares of Company Common Stock issuable in connection with the Grenadier PSA, the Forward Purchases and the PIPE Investment will (i) be duly authorized and validly issued, (ii) be fully paid and non-assessable, (iii) be issued in compliance with all applicable Laws, (iv) not be subject to preemptive rights or restrictions on transfer, other than applicable federal or state securities or “blue sky” laws and any restrictions on transfer set forth in the Stockholders’ Agreement. Assuming the accuracy of the representations of Contributor in this Agreement, the Stock Consideration and the shares of the Company Common Stock issued as Merger Consideration will be issued in compliance with all applicable federal or state securities or “blue sky” laws and (v) not issued in violation of any options, warrants, calls, rights (including preemptive rights), the Organizational Documents of the Company, commitments or agreements to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound.

 

(c)     Other than the Company’s Interests in Merger Sub and the Company’s right, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, to acquire the Transferred Entities at the Closing, no Parent Subsidiary owns any Interest in any other Person or has any option, warrant, call, right, commitment or agreement to acquire any Interest in any other Person. Each of the Parent Subsidiaries was formed solely for the purpose of entering into this Agreement and engaging in the Transactions. Other than (i) the Company’s Interests in Merger Sub, (ii) any rights or obligations of a Parent Subsidiary under this Agreement or the Grenadier PSA, (iii) assets contemplated by this Agreement to be transferred to a Parent Subsidiary, (iv) obligations incurred in connection with the incorporation of a Parent Subsidiary, (v) obligations incurred in connection with and the negotiation and consummation of this Agreement and the Transactions and (vi) obligations incurred in connection with and the negotiation and consummation of a revolving credit facility or term loan that any Parent Party may enter into in accordance with Section 8.1, no Parent Subsidiary has incurred any obligation or liability or engaged in any business or activity of any type or kind whatsoever or entered into any agreement or arrangement with any Person.

 

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6.5      Brokers. No broker, investment banker, or other Person is entitled to any broker’s, finder’s or other similar fee or commission in connection with the Transactions based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of a Parent Subsidiary.

 

6.6      Accredited Investor; Investment Intent. The Company is an accredited investor as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act. The Company is acquiring the Transferred Interests for its own account for investment and not with a view to, or for sale or other disposition in connection with, any distribution of all or any part thereof, except in compliance with applicable federal and state securities Laws. The Company acknowledges that the Transferred Interests are not registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws, and that the Transferred Interests may not be transferred or sold except pursuant to the registration provisions of the Securities Act or pursuant to an applicable exemption therefrom and subject to state securities laws and regulations, as applicable. The Company, together with Parent, its sole equityholder, has sufficient knowledge and experience in financial and business matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risk of its investment.

 

6.7       Grenadier PSA.  The Company has made available to Contributor a true and complete copy of any and all Material Grenadier Notices received by the Company under the Grenadier PSA. The Grenadier PSA (i) is legal, valid, binding and enforceable on the Company and Parent and, to the Company’s Knowledge, Grenadier, (ii) is in full force and effect, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (ii), as may be limited by Creditors’ Rights generally and (iii) as of the date hereof, constitutes the entire agreement between the Company, Parent and Grenadier concerning the subject matter thereof and there are no other side agreements or other agreements of such parties concerning the subject matter thereof that are not expressly contemplated thereby. Neither the Company nor Parent is in breach or default under the Grenadier PSA, nor to the Company’s Knowledge, is Grenadier in breach or default thereunder. To the Company’s Knowledge, no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a default under the Grenadier PSA on the part of the Company, Parent or Grenadier.

 

6.8      No Additional Representations.

 

(a)     Except for the representations and warranties made in this Article VI and in Article VII, no Parent Subsidiary nor any other Person on behalf of a Parent Subsidiary makes any express or implied representation or warranty with respect to the Parent Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, operations, assets, liabilities or conditions (financial or otherwise) in connection with this Agreement or the Transactions, and each of the Parent Subsidiaries hereby disclaims any such other representations or warranties. In particular, without limiting the foregoing disclaimer, except for the representations and warranties made by the Parent Subsidiaries in this Article VI and by Parent in Article VII, no Parent Subsidiary nor any other Person on behalf of a Parent Subsidiary makes or has made any representation or warranty to Contributor or any of its Affiliates or Representatives with respect to, any oral or written information presented to Contributor or any of its Affiliates or Representatives in the course of their due diligence investigation, the negotiation of this Agreement or in the course of the Transactions.

 

(b)     Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, each Parent Subsidiary acknowledges and agrees that none of Contributor, any of the Transferred Entities or any other Person has made or is making any representations or warranties relating to (i) the Transferred Entities whatsoever, express or implied, beyond those expressly given by Contributor in Article IV and Article V or (ii) Contributor whatsoever, express or implied, beyond those expressly given by Contributor in Article IV, including any implied representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information regarding Contributor or the Transferred Entities furnished or made available to a Parent Subsidiary or any Representative of a Parent Subsidiary. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Parent Subsidiary acknowledges that no representations or warranties are made by Contributor, any Transferred Entity or any other Person with respect to any projections, forecasts, estimates, budgets or prospect information that may have been made available to or made by any Parent Subsidiary or any of their respective Representatives, Contributor, any Transferred Entity or any other Person (including in any online data room, management presentations or in any other form in expectation of, or in connection with, the Transactions).

 

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Article VII
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF parent

 

Except (i) as set forth on the disclosure letter dated as of the date of this Agreement and delivered by Parent to Contributor on or prior to the date of this Agreement (the “Parent Disclosure Letter”) and (ii) as disclosed in any Parent SEC Document (excluding any disclosures included in any “risk factor” section of any such Parent SEC Document or any other disclosures in any such Parent SEC Document to the extent they are predictive, forward looking, non-specific and general in nature), Parent represents and warrants to Contributor as of the date hereof as follows:

 

7.1      Organization, Standing and Power. Parent (a) is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the State of Delaware, (b) has all requisite power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as now being conducted and (c) is duly qualified and in good standing to do business in each jurisdiction in which the business it is conducting, or the operation, ownership or leasing of its properties, makes such qualification necessary, other than where the failure to be duly organized, validly existing, to so qualify, to be in good standing or to have such requisite power and authority has not had, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect on Parent (a “Parent Material Adverse Effect”). Parent has heretofore made available to Contributor complete and correct copies of its Organizational Documents, in each case, as of the date hereof. As of the Closing, the Organizational Documents of Parent have not been amended in any respect from the copy made available to Contributor, except for any amendments made in connection with this Agreement or the Transactions.

 

7.2      Authority; No Violations; Consents and Approvals.

 

(a)     Parent has all requisite power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to consummate the Transactions applicable to Parent, subject to receipt of the Parent Stockholder Approval. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by Parent and, subject to receipt of the Parent Stockholder Approval, the consummation by Parent of the Transactions applicable to Parent have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of Parent. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Parent and, assuming this Agreement constitutes the valid and binding obligation of the other Parties, constitutes a valid and binding obligation of Parent enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforceability, to Creditors’ Rights and to receipt of the Parent Stockholder Approval.

 

(b)     The execution and delivery of this Agreement does not, and the consummation of the Transactions will not, result in any violation of, or default (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) under, or acceleration of any material obligation or the loss, suspension, limitation or impairment of a material benefit under (or right of Parent to own or use any assets or properties required for the conduct of their respective businesses) or result in (or give rise to) the creation of any Encumbrance or any rights of termination, cancellation, first offer or first refusal, in each case, with respect to any of the properties or assets of Parent under, any provision of (i) the Organizational Documents of Parent, (ii) any loan or credit agreement, note, bond, mortgage, indenture, lease or other agreement, permit, franchise or license to which Parent is a party or by which Parent’s properties or assets are bound or (iii) assuming the consents, approvals, orders, authorizations, notices, registrations, declarations, filings or permits referred to in Section 7.2(d) (including Immaterial Consents) are duly and timely obtained or made, any Law applicable to Parent or any of its properties or assets, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), any such violations, defaults, acceleration, losses, suspensions, limitations, impairments, Encumbrances or rights that have not had, individually or in the aggregate, a Parent Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(c)     Parent is not in default or violation (and no event has occurred which, with notice or the lapse of time or both, would constitute a default or violation) of any term, condition or provision of (i) the Organizational Documents of Parent or (ii) any loan or credit agreement, note, bond, mortgage, indenture, lease or other agreement, permit, franchise or license to which Parent is now a party or by which Parent or any of its properties or assets is bound, except for defaults or violations that have not had, individually or in the aggregate, a Parent Material Adverse Effect.

 

(d)     No consent or approval from, or notice to, any third party (other than a Governmental Entity) under any material loan or credit agreement, note, bond, mortgage, indenture, lease or other agreement, permit, franchise or license to which Parent is now a party or by which Parent or any of its properties or assets is bound is required to be obtained or made by Parent in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by Parent or the consummation by Parent of the Transactions applicable to Parent, other than the Parent Stockholder Approval, the Company Stockholder Approval, the Merger Sub Stockholder Approval and Immaterial Consents.

 

7.3      Governmental Consents. No consent, approval, order or authorization of, or registration, declaration or filing with, or permit from any Governmental Entity is required to be obtained or made by Parent in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by Parent or the consummation by Parent of the Transactions applicable to Parent, except for: (a) if required by the HSR Act, the filing of a HSR Act notification and report form by Parent or its Ultimate Parent Entity, (b) such filings and approvals as may be required by Nasdaq, NYSE or the SEC or any applicable federal or state securities or “blue sky” laws, including the Proxy Statement and (c) any such consent approval, order, authorization, notice, registration, declaration, filing or permit that the failure to obtain or make has not had, individually or in the aggregate, a Parent Material Adverse Effect.

 

7.4      Capitalization and Subsidiaries.

 

(a)     The authorized capital stock of Parent consists of (x) 200,000,000 shares of Parent Class A Common Stock, (y) 15,000,000 shares of Parent Class B Common Stock and (z) 1,000,000 shares of Parent Preferred Stock. As of the date hereof: (i) 37,806,000 shares of Parent Class A Common Stock, 10,350,000 shares of Parent Class B Common Stock and no shares of Parent Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding; (ii) 30,980,000 whole warrants entitling the holder thereof to purchase one share of Parent Class A Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per whole share of Parent Class A Common Stock (“Parent Warrants”) were issued and outstanding and 30,980,000 shares of Parent Class A Common Stock were reserved for issuance upon the exercise of such Parent Warrants; (iii) no shares of Parent Class A Common Stock or Parent Class B Common Stock were subject to issuance upon exercise of outstanding options and (iv) no Indebtedness of Parent having the right to vote (or convertible into Interests having the right to vote) on any matters on which the equityholders of Parent may vote was issued and outstanding (“Voting Debt”). No Parent Warrants are exercisable until after the Closing. All (A) issued and outstanding shares of Parent Class A Common Stock and Parent Class B Common Stock have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and are non-assessable and are not subject to preemptive rights and (B) outstanding Parent Warrants have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and are not subject to preemptive rights.

 

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(b)     Except as contemplated by this Agreement, the Forward Purchase Agreement, there are no outstanding options, warrants or other rights to subscribe for, purchase or acquire from any Parent Common Stock or Parent Preferred Stock or other Interests in Parent (collectively, “Parent Equity Interests”) or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Parent Equity Interests. Except as set forth in this Section 7.4, there are outstanding: (i) no Parent Equity Interests, Voting Debt or other voting securities of Parent; (ii) no securities of Parent convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Parent Equity Interests, Voting Debt or other voting securities of Parent, and (iii) no options, warrants, calls, rights (including preemptive rights), commitments or agreements to which Parent or any Subsidiary of Parent is a party or by which it is bound in any case obligating Parent or any Subsidiary of Parent to issue, deliver, sell, purchase, redeem or acquire, or cause to be issued, delivered, sold, purchased, redeemed or acquired, additional shares of capital stock or any Voting Debt or other voting securities or Interests of Parent, or obligating Parent to grant, extend or enter into any such option, warrant, call, right, commitment or agreement. There are not any stockholder agreements, voting trusts or other agreements or understandings to which Parent is a party or by which it is bound relating to the voting of any Parent Equity Interests.

 

(c)     Other than Interests held directly in the Company and indirectly in Merger Sub and the Company’s right, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, to acquire the Transferred Entities at the Closing, Parent does not own, directly or indirectly, any Interest in any other Person or have any option, warrant, call, right, commitment or agreement to acquire any Interest in any other Person. As of the date of this Agreement and until the Closing, Parent owns and shall own, directly, all of the issued and outstanding Interests in the Company and, indirectly through the Company, all of the issued and outstanding Interests in Merger Sub.

 

7.5      Brokers. Except for the fees and expenses payable to Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., EarlyBirdCapital, Inc. and Jefferies LLC, no broker, investment banker, or other Person is entitled to any broker’s, finder’s or other similar fee or commission in connection with the Transactions based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of Parent.

 

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7.6      SEC Documents.

 

(a)     Parent has made available to Contributor (including via the EDGAR system) a true and complete copy of each form, report, statement, schedule, prospectus, proxy, registration statement and other document filed by Parent with the SEC since its initial registration of the Parent Class A Common Stock (the “Parent SEC Documents”). Each of the Parent SEC Documents has been timely filed and, as of their respective dates, each of the Parent SEC Documents, as amended, complied as to form in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act, or the Exchange Act or any other applicable Law, as the case may be, in each case, to the extent applicable to such Parent SEC Documents, and none of the Parent SEC Documents contained, when filed or, if amended, as of the date of such amendment with respect to those disclosures that are amended, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Parent has timely filed each report, statement, schedule, prospectus, and registration statement that Parent was required to file with the SEC since its inception. Parent has made available (including via the EDGAR system) to Contributor all material correspondence between the SEC on the one hand, and Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, on the other hand, since the initial registration of the Parent Common Stock. There are no material outstanding or unresolved comments in comment letters from the SEC staff with respect to any of the Parent SEC Documents. To Parent’s Knowledge, (A) none of the Parent SEC Documents is the subject of ongoing SEC review or outstanding SEC comment and (B) neither the SEC nor any other Governmental Entity is conducting any investigation or review of any Parent SEC Document.

 

(b)     The financial statements of Parent included in the Parent SEC Documents complied, and in the case of financial statements filed following the date hereof will comply, as to form in all material respects with Regulation S-X of the SEC, were prepared in all material respects in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (except as may be indicated in the notes thereto or, in the case of the unaudited statements, as permitted by Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X of the SEC) and fairly present, and in the case of financial statements filed following the date hereof will fairly present, in all material respects in accordance with applicable requirements of GAAP (subject, in the case of the unaudited statements, to normal year-end audit adjustments) the financial position of Parent as of their respective dates and the results of operations and the cash flows of Parent for the periods presented therein.

 

(c)     Parent makes and keeps books, records and accounts and has devised and maintains a system of internal controls, in each case, as required pursuant to Section 13(b)(2) under the Exchange Act. Parent has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (e) and (f), respectively, of Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act) as required by Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act and the applicable listing standards of the Nasdaq. Such disclosure controls and procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that all material information required to be disclosed by Parent in the reports that it files under the Exchange Act are recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, and that all such material information is accumulated and communicated to its management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and to make the certifications required pursuant to Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

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7.7      No Indebtedness. Except for the Sponsor Loans and any revolving credit facility or term loan that any Parent Party enters into in accordance with Section 8.1, no Parent Party has any Indebtedness.

 

7.8      Compliance with Laws. Since the date of its incorporation, Parent has been in compliance with, and is not in default under or in violation of, any applicable Law, except where such non-compliance, default or violation have not had, individually or in the aggregate, a Parent Material Adverse Effect. Parent has not received any written communication since the date of its incorporation from a Governmental Entity that alleges that Parent is not in compliance with or is in default or violation of any applicable Law, except where such non-compliance, default or violation would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Parent Material Adverse Effect.

 

7.9      Litigation. Except for such matters as have not had, individually or in the aggregate, a Parent Material Adverse Effect, there is no (a) Proceeding pending, or, to Parent’s Knowledge, threatened against Parent or (b) judgment, decree, injunction, ruling or order of any Governmental Entity or arbitrator outstanding against Parent. To Parent’s Knowledge, as of the date hereof, no officer or director of Parent is a defendant in any material Proceeding in connection with his or her status as an officer or director of Parent. There is no judgment, settlement, order, decision, direction, writ, injunction, decree, stipulation or legal or arbitration award of, or promulgated or issued by, any Governmental Entity in effect to which any of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or subject that materially interferes with, or would be reasonably likely to materially interfere with, the business of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries as currently conducted.

 

7.10     Certain Contracts and Arrangements. The lists of exhibits contained in the Parent SEC Documents sets forth a true and complete list, as of the date of this Agreement, of (a) each agreement to which Parent is a party (other than this Agreement) that is of a type that would be required to be included as an exhibit to a registration statement on Form S-1 pursuant to Items 601(b)(2), (4), (9) or (10) of Regulation S-K of the SEC if such a registration statement was filed by Parent on the date of this Agreement; (b) any non-competition agreement that purports to limit the manner in which, or the localities in which, all or any material portion of Parent’s business on a consolidated basis is conducted; (c) any contract that is related to the governance or operation of any joint venture, partnership or similar arrangement, other than such contract solely between or among any of Parent and its Subsidiaries and (d) any contract that includes any Affiliate of Parent (other than a Subsidiary of Parent) as a counterparty (collectively, the “Parent Contracts”). Except as would not be reasonably likely to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Parent Material Adverse Effect, Parent is not in breach or default under any Parent Contract nor, to Parent’s Knowledge as of the date of this Agreement, is any other party to any such Parent Contract in breach or default thereunder.

 

7.11     Solvency. Parent is not entering into the Transactions with the actual intent to hinder, delay or defraud either present or future creditors of Parent or the Company. Assuming (a) that the representations and warranties of Contributor contained in Article IV and Article V are true and correct in all material respects (disregarding for these purposes any materiality qualifiers or references to “Contributor Material Adverse Effect” or “HighPeak Material Adverse Effect”) and (b) that the projections and other forecasts for the HighPeak Entities and related estimates, plans and budget information made available to Parent are true and correct in all material respects, and at the Closing, and after giving effect to the Transactions, each of Parent, the Company and each of the Transferred Entities (i) will be solvent (in that both the fair value of its assets will not be less than the sum of its debts and that the present fair saleable value of its assets will not be less than the amount required to pay its probable liability on its debts as they become absolute and matured); (ii) will have adequate capital and liquidity with which to engage in its business and (iii) will not have incurred and does not plan to incur debts beyond its ability to pay as they become absolute and matured.

 

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7.12     Board Approval; Vote Required. The board of directors of Parent (the “Parent Board”) (upon the recommendation of a special committee composed entirely of independent and disinterested directors (the “Special Committee”)) has declared the advisability of the Transactions in accordance with applicable Law and as required by Parent’s Organizational Documents and approved this Agreement and the Transactions and determined that the Transactions are in the best interests of Parent and its stockholders, and has determined to recommend that holders of Parent Common Stock vote in favor of the Transactions. The affirmative vote cast by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Parent Class A Common Stock and Parent Class B Common Stock represented in person or by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote thereon, voting as a single class, with respect to the approval and adoption of this Agreement and, to the extent applicable, the Grenadier PSA and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (the “Business Combination Proposal”) is the only vote of holders of any class or series of Parent’s capital stock necessary to approve the Business Combination Proposal (the vote of the holders of Parent’s capital stock referred to above in this Section 7.12, the “Parent Stockholder Approval”). The Parent Stockholder Approval is the only vote of the holders of any class or series of Parent’s capital stock necessary to approve the Transactions.

 

7.13     Listing. The issued and outstanding shares of Parent Class A Common Stock are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and, as of the date of this Agreement, are listed for trading on the NASDAQ Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “PACQ”. There is no Proceeding pending or, to Parent’s Knowledge, threatened against Parent by Nasdaq or the SEC with respect to any intention by such entity to deregister the Parent Class A Common Stock or prohibit or terminate the listing of Parent Common Stock on Nasdaq. Parent has taken no action that is designed to terminate the registration of Parent Common Stock under the Exchange Act. As of the Closing and prior to the Merger Effective Time, the Parent Class A Common Stock shall be listed for trading on Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). Immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time, the Company Common Stock constituting the Merger Consideration or the Stock Consideration shall be approved for listing on the Nasdaq or NYSE, subject to official notice of issuance thereof.

 

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7.14     Trust Account. As of October 31, 2019, Parent had approximately $388,415,390 in the Trust Account and held in trust by the Trustee pursuant to the Trust Agreement.

 

7.15     Information Supplied. None of the information supplied or to be supplied by any Parent Party for inclusion or incorporation by reference in the Proxy Statement to be sent to the stockholders of Parent relating to the Parent Stockholder Approval, will, at the date mailed to the stockholders of Parent or at the time of the meeting of such stockholders to be held in connection with the Transactions, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading. The Proxy Statement will comply as to form in all material respects with the provisions of the Exchange Act. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Parent makes no representation, warranty or covenant with respect to (a) statements made or incorporated by reference therein based on information supplied or to be supplied by Contributor for inclusion or incorporation by reference in the Proxy Statement or (b) any projections or forecasts included in the Proxy Statement.

 

7.16     Absence of Certain Changes or Events.

 

(a)     Since December 31, 2018, there has not been any event, change, effect or development that, individually or in the aggregate, had a Parent Material Adverse Effect.

 

(b)     From December 31, 2018, Parent and its Subsidiaries have conducted their business in the ordinary course of business in all material respects, other than the negotiation and execution of this Agreement and the Transactions contemplated hereby.

 

7.17     Taxes.

 

(a)     All material Tax Returns required to be filed by or with respect to Parent have been duly and timely filed (taking into account extension of time for filing) with the appropriate Governmental Entity, and all such Tax Returns were true, correct and complete in all material respects. All material Taxes owed by Parent (or for which Parent may be liable) that are or have become due have been timely paid in full (regardless of whether shown on any Tax Return). All material withholding Tax requirements imposed on or with respect to Parent have been satisfied in full. There are no Encumbrances (other than Permitted Encumbrances) on any of the assets of Parent that arose in connection with any failure (or alleged failure) to pay any Tax.

 

(b)     There is no material Proceeding currently pending against Parent in respect of any Tax or Tax Return.

 

(c)     There is not in force any waiver or agreement for any extension of time for the assessment, collection or payment of any material Tax by Parent.

 

(d)     There is no outstanding material claim, assessment or deficiency against Parent for any Taxes that has been asserted in writing by any Governmental Entity.

 

(e)     No written claim has been made by any Governmental Entity to Parent in a jurisdiction where Parent does not currently file a Tax Return that it is or may be subject to any Tax in such jurisdiction, nor has any such assertion been threatened or proposed in writing and received by Parent.

 

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(f)     Parent (i) is not a party to any material agreement or arrangement relating to the apportionment, sharing, assignment or allocation of Taxes, and (ii) other than with the Company and Merger Sub, has not been a member of an affiliated group filing a consolidated income Tax Return nor has any liability for the Taxes of any Person under Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-6 (or any comparable provision of foreign, state or local Tax Law), including any predecessor of Parent, or as a transferee or successor, by contract or otherwise (in the case of either clause (i) or clause (ii), other than any customary Tax sharing or indemnification provisions contained in any agreement entered into in the ordinary course of business and not primarily relating to Tax).

 

(g)     Parent has not participated, nor is Parent currently participating, in any listed transactions within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.6011-4.

 

(h)     Each of Parent, the Company and Merger Sub is, and has been since formation, properly classified for United States federal income tax purposes as a corporation.

 

7.18     No Additional Representations.

 

(a)     Except for the representations and warranties made in Article VI and in this Article VII, neither Parent nor any other Person on behalf of Parent makes any express or implied representation or warranty with respect to Parent or its businesses, operations, assets, liabilities or conditions (financial or otherwise) in connection with this Agreement or the Transactions, and Parent hereby disclaims any such other representations or warranties. In particular, without limiting the foregoing disclaimer, except for the representations and warranties made by Parent in this Article VII and the representations and warranties made by the Parent Subsidiaries in Article VI, neither Parent nor any other Person on behalf of Parent makes or has made any representation or warranty to Contributor or any of its Affiliates or Representatives with respect to, any oral or written information presented to Contributor or any of its Affiliates or Representatives in the course of their due diligence investigation, the negotiation of this Agreement or in the course of the Transactions.

 

(b)     Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, Parent acknowledges and agrees that none of Contributor, any of the HighPeak Entities or any other Person has made or is making any representations or warranties relating to (i) the HighPeak Entities whatsoever, express or implied, beyond those expressly given by Contributor in Article V or (ii) Contributor whatsoever, express or implied, beyond those expressly given by Contributor in Article IV, including any implied representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information regarding Contributor or the HighPeak Entities furnished or made available to any Parent Party or any of their respective Representatives. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Parent acknowledges that no representations or warranties by Contributor, any of the HighPeak Entities or any other Person are made with respect to any projections, forecasts, estimates, budgets or prospect information that may have been made available to any Parent Party or any of their respective Representatives (including in any online data room, management presentations or any other form in expectation of, or in connection with, the Transactions).

 

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Article VIII
COVENANTS AND AGREEMENTS

 

8.1      Conduct of HighPeak Business Pending the Closing. Except (u) as set forth on Schedule 8.1 of the Contributor Disclosure Letter, including any matters contemplated by the budget of any applicable HighPeak Entity set forth on Schedule 8.1 of the Contributor Disclosure Letter, (v) as expressly contemplated or permitted by this Agreement (including pursuant to Section 8.17), (w) as may be required by applicable Law or the terms of any HighPeak Plan or Material HighPeak Contract, (x) as may be required in response to any comment letter from the SEC, (y) as may be required in response to emergency situations (provided, however, that Contributor promptly notifies the Company of the same) or (z) as otherwise consented to by the Company in writing (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned):

 

(a)     Contributor covenants and agrees that, until the earlier of the Closing and the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Article X, it shall cause each of the HighPeak Entities to (i) conduct its businesses in the ordinary course and (ii) use commercially reasonable efforts to (A) preserve intact its present business organization, (B) maintain in effect its material Oil and Gas Properties and HighPeak Permits, (C) retain its current officers and (D) preserve its relationships with its key customers and suppliers; and

 

(b)     without limiting the generality of the foregoing, until the earlier of the Closing and the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Article X, Contributor shall cause the HighPeak Entities (and to the extent applicable, HighPeak Employer) not to:

 

(i)     (A) declare, set aside or pay any dividends on, or make any other distribution in respect of any outstanding Interests in any HighPeak Entity, other than distributions made to Contributor of rights to receive payments with respect to Sponsor Loans; (B) split, combine or reclassify any Interests in any HighPeak Entity or (C) purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, or offer to purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, any Interests in any HighPeak Entity;

 

(ii)     offer, issue, deliver, grant or sell, or authorize or propose to offer, issue, deliver, grant or sell, any Interests in any HighPeak Entity or any securities convertible into, or any rights, warrants or options to acquire, any such Interests, in each case, other than to Contributor;

 

(iii)     amend or propose to amend the Organizational Documents of any HighPeak Entity;

 

(iv)     (A) merge, consolidate, combine or amalgamate with any Person, (B) acquire or agree to acquire (including by merging or consolidating with, purchasing any equity interest in or a substantial portion of the assets of, licensing, or by any other manner), any business or any corporation, partnership, association or other business organization or division thereof, in each case, other than (I) pursuant to an agreement of a HighPeak Entity in effect on the date of this Agreement that is a Material HighPeak Contract, (II) acquisitions in the ordinary course of business for which the consideration does not exceed $25,000,000 in the aggregate and (III) swaps and licenses in the ordinary course of business or (C) make any loans, advances or capital contributions to, or investments in, any Person (other than any other Transferred Entity), except for loans, advances or capital contributions in the form of trade credit granted to customers in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices;

 

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(v)      sell, lease, abandon, encumber or otherwise dispose of, or agree to sell, lease, abandon, encumber or otherwise dispose of, any material portion of its assets or properties, other than (A) items constituting Permitted Encumbrances, (B) pursuant to an agreement of a HighPeak Entity in effect on the date of this Agreement that is a Material HighPeak Contract or (C) sales, swaps, leases or dispositions (I) for which the consideration is $10,000,000 or less and (II) made in the ordinary course of business;

 

(vi)      consummate, authorize, recommend, propose or announce an intention to adopt a plan of complete or partial liquidation or dissolution of any HighPeak Entity;

 

(vii)     change in any material respect the material accounting principles, practices or methods of a HighPeak Entity, except as required by GAAP or applicable Law;

 

(viii)    except as otherwise done pursuant to an acquisition permitted by Section 8.1(b)(iv), in the ordinary course of business, consistent with past practices (where applicable), or as required by a change in applicable Law, (A) make or rescind any material election relating to Taxes (including any election for any joint venture, partnership, limited liability company or other investment where HighPeak Employer or a HighPeak Entity has the authority to make such binding election), (B) settle or compromise any material Proceeding relating to Taxes of HighPeak Employer or any HighPeak Entity or (C) change in any material respects any methods of reporting income or deductions for income Tax purposes for HighPeak Employer or any HighPeak Entity from those employed in the preparation of its income Tax Returns that have been filed for prior taxable years;

 

(ix)     (A) grant any increases in the compensation (including bonuses) or benefits payable or to become payable to any of the directors, officers or independent contractors of any Transferred Entity, other than annual increases (and bonuses) granted in the ordinary course of business; (B) enter into any new, or amend any existing, employment, retention, change in control or severance or termination agreement with any director, officer or independent contractor or (C) terminate, establish or become obligated under any collective bargaining agreement or any material HighPeak Plan, or amend any such plan or arrangement if such amendment would have the effect of materially enhancing any benefits or increasing the costs of providing benefits thereunder; in each of (A) through (C), other than as required by applicable Law or the existing terms of any HighPeak Plan;

 

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(x)      incur, create or assume any Indebtedness or guarantee any such Indebtedness of another Person or create any Encumbrances on any property or assets of any HighPeak Entity in connection with any Indebtedness thereof, other than Permitted Encumbrances; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not restrict (A) in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Sponsor Loans, (B) the incurrence of Indebtedness (I) constituting borrowings in an amount not to exceed $40,000,000 in the aggregate or (II) by any HighPeak Entity that is owed to any other HighPeak Entity or (C) the creation of any Encumbrances securing any Indebtedness permitted to be incurred by clause (B) above;

 

(xi)     (A) enter into any contract that would be a Material HighPeak Contract other than in the ordinary course of business, in which case such Material HighPeak Contract shall be made available by Contributor to the Company, (B) modify, amend, terminate or assign, waive or assign any material right or benefit under, any Material HighPeak Contract other than in the ordinary course of business, or (C) enter into any joint venture or other entity that will be treated as a partnership for tax purposes;

 

(xii)    modify, amend, terminate or waive any right or benefit of any of the Transferred Entities under the Grenadier PSA or the HighPeak Employer PSA (or approve any changes to the Existing ASA (as defined in the HighPeak Employer PSA) that require HPK Energy’s approval pursuant to Section 6.4 of the HighPeak Employer PSA without the prior written approval of Parent, including the prior written approval of the Special Committee) or fail to provide the Company with any Material Grenadier Notices made or received under the Grenadier PSA;

 

(xiii)   settle or offer or propose to settle, any Proceeding (other than a Proceeding relating to Taxes) involving the payment of monetary damages by a HighPeak Entity of any amount exceeding $500,000 in the aggregate; provided, however, that no HighPeak Entity shall settle or compromise any Proceeding if such settlement or compromise (A) involves a material conduct remedy or material injunctive or similar relief or (B) involves an admission of criminal wrongdoing by a HighPeak Entity;

 

(xiv)    authorize or make capital expenditures that exceed the budgets set forth on Schedule 8.1 of the Contributor Disclosure Letter by an amount greater than $25,000,000 in the aggregate, except for capital expenditures (A) to repair damage resulting from insured casualty events or (B) made in response to any emergency, whether caused by war, terrorism, weather events, public health events, outages or otherwise;

 

(xv)     take any action that would or would reasonably be expected to hinder, prevent, delay or interfere with, in any manner, the Closing and the consummation of the Transactions; or

 

(xvi)    agree or commit to take any action that is prohibited by this Section 8.1(b).

 

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8.2      Conduct of the Parent Parties’ Businesses Pending the Closing. Except (u) as set forth on Schedule 8.2 of the Parent Disclosure Letter, (v) as expressly contemplated or permitted by this Agreement, (w) as may be required by applicable Law, (x) as may be required in response to any comment letter from the SEC, (y) as may be required in response to emergency situations (provided, however, that Parent promptly notifies Contributor of the same) or (z) as otherwise consented to by Contributor in writing (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned):

 

(a)     each of the Parent Parties covenants and agrees that, until the earlier of the Closing and the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Article X, it shall conduct its businesses in the ordinary course and use commercially reasonable efforts to (i) preserve intact its present business organization, (ii) maintain in effect its material assets, properties and permits, and (iii) retain its current officers; and

 

(b)     without limiting the generality of the foregoing, until the earlier of the Closing and the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Article X, the Parent Parties shall not:

 

(i)     amend or propose to amend (A) the Organizational Documents of any Parent Party or (B) the Trust Agreement or any other agreement related to the Trust Account;

 

(ii)     offer, issue, sell, grant or deliver, or authorize or propose to offer, issue, sell, grant or deliver any Interest in Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, other than (A) issuances of Company Common Stock in connection with the PIPE Investment, (B) issuances of Company Common Stock and Company Warrants, in each case, in connection with the Forward Purchases, (C) issuances of Company Common Stock and Company Warrants as contemplated by the Grenadier PSA, and (D) issuances of any Interests in a, directly or indirectly, wholly-owned Subsidiary of Parent to Parent or another directly or indirectly wholly-owned Subsidiary of Parent;

 

(iii)    (A) split, combine or reclassify any Interests in Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, (B) declare, set aside or pay any dividends on, or make any other distribution in respect of, any outstanding Interests in Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, (C) repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, or offer to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, any interests in Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, other than in connection with the Parent Offer or (D) adopt a plan of complete or partial liquidation or resolutions providing for or authorizing a liquidation, dissolution, merger, consolidation, restructuring, recapitalization or other reorganization of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries;

 

(iv)     create, incur, guarantee or assume any Indebtedness (other than with respect to Sponsor Loans and the entry into of a revolving credit facility or term loan the proceeds of which may be used to fund all or part of the Grenadier Closing Cash Payment and working capital needs of the Parent Parties or any of their respective Subsidiaries following the Closing) or otherwise become liable or responsible for the obligations of any other Person;

 

(v)     (A) acquire (by merger, consolidation, acquisition of stock or assets or otherwise) any other Person or division of a business organization, (B) form any joint venture or similar arrangement or exercise any rights under any existing joint venture or similar agreement or (C) make any loans, advances or capital contributions to, or investments in, any Person;

 

(vi)     modify, amend, terminate or waive any right or benefit under the Grenadier PSA or fail to provide Contributor with any Material Grenadier Notices made or received under the Grenadier PSA; or

 

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(vii)     agree or commit to do any of the foregoing.

 

8.3      No Hindrance. Each Party covenants and agrees that, until the earlier of the Closing and the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Article X, it will not take any action that would or would reasonably be expected to hinder, prevent, delay or interfere with, in any manner, the Closing and the consummation of the Transactions.

 

8.4      Access to Information.

 

(a)      

 

(i)      The Parent Parties shall afford to Contributor and its officers, directors, employees, accountants, consultants, agents, legal counsel, financial advisors and other representatives (collectively, the “Representatives”), during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the earlier of the Closing Date and the date of termination of this Agreement pursuant to the terms of Article X, reasonable access, at reasonable times upon reasonable prior notice, to the officers, key employees, agents, properties, offices and other facilities of the Parent Parties and to their books, records, contracts and documents and shall furnish reasonably promptly to Contributor and its Representatives such information concerning their and their Subsidiaries’ respective business, properties, contracts, records and personnel as may be reasonably requested, from time to time, by or on behalf of Contributor.

 

(ii)     Contributor shall, and shall cause the HighPeak Entities to, afford to the Parent Parties and their respective Representatives, during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the earlier of the Closing Date and the date of termination of this Agreement pursuant to the terms of Article X, reasonable access, at reasonable times upon reasonable prior notice, to the officers, agents, properties, offices and other facilities of the HighPeak Entities and to their books, records, contracts and documents and shall, and shall cause the HighPeak Entities to, furnish reasonably promptly to the Parent Parties and their respective Representatives such information concerning the business, properties, contracts and records of the HighPeak Entities as may be reasonably requested, from time to time, by or on behalf of Parent or the Parent Subsidiaries.

 

(iii)     Each Party and its Representatives shall exercise any access rights described in clauses (i) and (ii) in such a manner as not to interfere unreasonably with the business or operations of the Person providing access or otherwise cause any unreasonable interference with the prompt and timely discharge by the employees of such other Person of their normal duties. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 8.4(a), (A) no Party or its Subsidiaries shall be required to, or to cause any of its Subsidiaries to, grant access or furnish information to any other Party or any of their respective Representatives to the extent that such information is subject to an attorney/client or attorney work product privilege or that such access or the furnishing of such information is prohibited by applicable Law or an existing contract or agreement and (B) no Party or its Representatives shall have access to personnel records of another Party or any of its Subsidiaries relating to individual performance or evaluation records, medical histories or other information, the disclosure of which, in such other Party’s good faith opinion, could subject such disclosing Party or any of its Subsidiaries to risk of liability. Each Party agrees that it will not, and will cause its Representatives not to, use any information obtained pursuant to this Section 8.4(a) for any purpose unrelated to the consummation of the Transactions.

 

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(b)    Each Party agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless each Party providing access and such Party’s Affiliates and its and their respective Representatives from any and all claims, losses, obligations and liabilities incurred by such Party providing access, its Affiliates or its or their respective Representatives arising as a result of actions taken by such indemnifying Party or its Representatives pursuant to the access rights under Section 8.4(a); provided that the foregoing indemnification shall not apply to any such claims, losses, obligations or liabilities as are caused by the willful misconduct or gross negligence of the Party providing access, its Affiliates or its or their respective Representatives.

 

8.5      HSR and Other Approvals.

 

(a)     Each of the Parties shall: (i) cooperate with each other in timely making all filings required under this Agreement to complete the Transactions, (ii) cooperate with each other in timely making all other filings with, and timely seeking all other consents, permits, authorizations or approvals from, Governmental Entities as necessary or appropriate to consummate the Transactions, and (iii) supply to any Governmental Entity as promptly as practicable any additional information or documents that may be requested by such Governmental Entity. Contributor shall notify the Parent Parties if: (A) after the date of this Agreement, Contributor obtains Knowledge that any investigation or review by any Governmental Entity with respect to any HighPeak Entity is commenced or threatened, other than those the outcome of which is not reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a HighPeak Material Adverse Effect, or (B) a HighPeak Entity receives any written communication after the date hereof from a Governmental Entity that alleges that a HighPeak Entity is not in compliance with, in all material respects, or is in default or violation, in any material respect, of, any applicable Law. Nothing in this Section 8.5(a) shall require either Party to share information reflecting the value of the Transactions or subject to any applicable privilege unless the Parties have entered into a mutually agreeable joint defense agreement.

 

(b)     If a filing is required by the HSR Act, the Parent Parties shall or shall cause their Ultimate Parent Entity to and Contributor shall or shall cause its Ultimate Parent Entity to: (i) as promptly as practicable and in any event no later than ten (10) Business Days after the date of this Agreement, file, or cause to be filed (and not withdraw), a Notification and Report Form under the HSR Act with the Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”) and the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice (the “Antitrust Division”) in connection with the Transactions; and (ii) use its reasonable best efforts to (A) respond as promptly as practicable to all inquiries received from the FTC or the Antitrust Division for additional information or documentation, (B) cause the waiting period under the HSR Act to terminate or expire at the earliest possible date and (C) avoid each and every impediment under the HSR Act with respect to the Transactions so as to enable the Closing to occur as soon as reasonably possible (and in any event not later than the End Date).

 

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(c)     No Party shall take any action that would hinder or delay the obtaining of clearance or the expiration of the required waiting period under the HSR Act.

 

8.6      Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

(a)     Without limiting any other rights that any Indemnified Person may have pursuant to any employment agreement or indemnification agreement in effect on the date hereof or otherwise, from the Closing and until the six year anniversary of the Closing, the Company shall, and shall cause the Transferred Entities to, indemnify, defend and hold harmless each Person who is now, or has been at any time prior to the date of this Agreement or who becomes prior to the Closing, a director or officer of any Transferred Entity or is or was serving at the request of a Transferred Entity as a director or officer of another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, Employee Benefit Plan, trust or other enterprise (the “Indemnified Persons”) against all losses, claims, damages, costs, fines, penalties, expenses (including attorneys’ and other professionals’ fees and expenses), liabilities or judgments or amounts that are paid in settlement (with the approval of the indemnifying party, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned), of or incurred in connection with any threatened or actual Proceeding to which such Indemnified Person is a party or is otherwise involved (including as a witness) based, in whole or in part, on or arising, in whole or in part, out of the fact that such Person is or was a director or officer of a Transferred Entity or is or was serving at the request of a Transferred Entity as a director or officer of another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, Employee Benefit Plan, trust or other enterprise or by reason of anything done or not done by such Person in any such capacity, whether pertaining to any act or omission occurring or existing prior to, at or after the Closing and whether asserted or claimed prior to, at or after the Closing (“Indemnified Liabilities”), including all Indemnified Liabilities based in whole or in part on, or arising in whole or in part out of, or pertaining to, this Agreement or the Transactions, in each case, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable Law (and the Company shall, or shall cause a Transferred Entity to, pay expenses incurred in connection therewith in advance of the final disposition of any such Proceeding to each Indemnified Person to the fullest extent permitted under applicable Law). Without limiting the foregoing, in the event any such Proceeding is brought or threatened to be brought against any Indemnified Persons (whether arising before or after the Closing), (i) the Indemnified Persons may retain any Parent Party’s (or a Transferred Entity’s) regularly engaged legal counsel or other counsel satisfactory to them, and the Company shall, or shall cause a Transferred Entity to, pay all reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel for the Indemnified Persons as promptly as statements therefor accompanied by reasonable supporting documentation are received and (ii) the Company shall, and shall cause the Transferred Entities to, use their respective reasonable best efforts to assist in the defense of any such matter. Any Indemnified Person wishing to claim indemnification or advancement of expenses under this Section 8.6, upon learning of any such Proceeding, shall notify the Company or the applicable Transferred Entity (but the failure so to notify shall not relieve the Company from any obligations that it may have under this Section 8.6 except to the extent such failure materially prejudices the Company’s position with respect to such claims). With respect to any determination of whether any Indemnified Person is entitled to indemnification by the Company or a Transferred Entity under this Section 8.6, such Indemnified Person shall have the right to require that such determination be made by special, independent legal counsel selected by the Indemnified Person and approved by the Company (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), and who has not otherwise performed material services for the Company or the Indemnified Person within the last three (3) years.

 

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(b)     None of the Parent Parties or any of their Subsidiaries shall, or shall permit any of their respective Subsidiaries or any Transferred Entity to, amend, repeal or otherwise modify any provision in the Organizational Documents of any Transferred Entity in any manner that would affect adversely the rights thereunder of any Indemnified Person to indemnification, exculpation and advancement except to the extent required by applicable Law.

 

(c)     The Company shall, and shall cause the Transferred Entities to, indemnify any Indemnified Person against all reasonable costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses), such amounts to be payable in advance upon request as provided in Section 8.6(a), relating to the enforcement of such Indemnified Person’s rights under this Section 8.6 or under any Organizational Documents; provided that each Indemnified Person shall agree to refund all such amounts so paid by the Company if it shall ultimately be determined by a final and non-appealable order of a court of competent jurisdiction that such Indemnified Person is not entitled to indemnification hereunder or thereunder.

 

(d)     In the event that any Parent Party, any Transferred Entity or any of their respective successors or assigns (i) consolidates with or merges into any other Person and shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation or merger or (ii) transfers all or substantially all of its properties and assets to any Person, then, in each such case, proper provisions shall be made so that the successors and assigns of such Parent Party or such Transferred Entity, as applicable, shall assume, or otherwise be bound by the obligations set forth in this Section 8.6. The provisions of this Section 8.6 are intended to be for the benefit of, and shall be enforceable by, the Parties and each Person entitled to indemnification or expense advancement pursuant to this Section 8.6, and such Person’s heirs and Representatives.

 

8.7      Agreement to Defend. In the event any Proceeding by any Governmental Entity or other Person is commenced that questions the validity or legality of the Transactions or seeks damages in connection therewith, the Parties agree to cooperate and use their reasonable best efforts to defend against and respond thereto.

 

8.8      Public Announcements. The Parties shall issue a joint press release promptly following the execution of this Agreement, in form and substance mutually agreeable to the Parties. The Parties will not, and will cause their respective Representatives not to, issue any other public announcements or make other public disclosures regarding this Agreement (including with respect to the execution of this Agreement) or the transactions contemplated hereby, without the prior written approval of the Company, in the case of a public announcement by Contributor or its Representatives, or Contributor or the Contributor Representative, in the case of a public announcement by any Parent Party; provided, however, that a Party or its Representatives may issue a public announcement or other public disclosures required by applicable Law (including the Proxy Statement and any offering or other documents prepared in connection with any financing by any Party); provided that such Party uses reasonable best efforts to afford the other Parties an opportunity to first review the content of the proposed disclosure and provide reasonable comment regarding same; provided, further, that no provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to restrict in any manner (a) any Party’s ability to communicate with its employees and financial and legal advisors in connection with the Transactions or the fact that the such Party has entered into this Agreement or (b) any Party’s ability to communicate with its equityholders and other investors (including future investors) the fact that such Party has entered into this Agreement.

 

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8.9      Advice of Certain Matters; Control of Business. Subject to compliance with applicable Law, the Parent Parties, on the one hand, and Contributor, on the other hand, shall confer on a regular basis with each other, report on operational matters and shall promptly advise each other orally and in writing of any change or event having, a HighPeak Material Adverse Effect, or that would result in a breach of contract or violation of Law resulting in any loss, cost or liability to Parent Parties in excess of $1,000,000, a Contributor Material Adverse Effect, a Parent Material Adverse Effect or a Parent Subsidiary Material Adverse Effect, as the case may be, but the failure to so promptly advise in accordance with the foregoing shall not affect the rights or remedies of any Party to this Agreement. Except with respect to the HSR Act as provided in Section 8.5, and the Parent Parties, on the one hand, and Contributor, on the other hand, shall promptly provide each other (or their respective counsel) copies of all filings made by such Party or its Subsidiaries with the SEC or any other Governmental Entity in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions; provided, however, that materials provided to the another Party or its outside counsel may be redacted to remove references concerning the valuation of any Party and its Subsidiaries or as necessary to address reasonable privilege concerns. Without limiting in any way any Party’s rights or obligations under this Agreement, nothing contained in this Agreement shall give any Party, directly or indirectly, the right to control or direct the other Parties and their respective Subsidiaries’ operations prior to the Closing. Prior to the Closing, each of the Parties shall exercise, consistent with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, complete control and supervision over its and its Subsidiaries’ respective operations.

 

8.10    Tax Matters.

 

(a)     Contributor shall be responsible for all Contributor Taxes.

 

(b)     From the date hereof until the Closing Date, Contributor shall be responsible for preparing and filing, or causing to be prepared and timely filed, all Tax Returns of the Transferred Entities that are required to be filed after the date hereof but on or prior to the Closing Date. All Tax Returns described in this Section 8.10(b) shall be prepared in a manner consistent with past practice (unless otherwise required by applicable Law). Contributor shall cause the Transferred Entities to pay any Taxes reflected on such Tax Returns described in this Section 8.10(b) and Contributor shall be responsible for any failure to file such Tax Returns and to make such payments.

 

(c)     Contributor shall prepare or cause to be prepared and file or cause to be filed (i) the final U.S. federal income Tax Return of HPK Energy (and related Schedules K-1) required to be filed for the Tax period ending on the Closing Date, and (ii) the U.S. federal income Tax Return of HPK Energy (and related Schedules K-1) for the Tax period ending on December 31, 2019.

 

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(d)     The Company shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, and timely file all Tax Returns required to be filed by the Transferred Entities (other than the Tax Returns set forth in Section 8.10(b) or Section 8.10(c)) which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall include any Tax Return required to be filed by the Transferred Entities after the Closing Date (other than the Tax Returns set forth in Section 8.10(c)). All Tax Returns described in this Section 8.10(d) with respect to a taxable period (or portion thereof) ending on or before the Closing Date shall be prepared in a manner consistent with past practice (unless otherwise required by applicable Law). The Company shall pay or cause the Transferred Entities to pay any Taxes due with such Tax Returns described in this Section 8.10(d) and shall be responsible for any failure to file such Tax Returns and to make such payments.

 

(e)     The Parties shall cooperate fully, as and to the extent reasonably requested by another Party, in connection with the filing of Tax Returns and any audit, litigation, or other proceeding with respect to Taxes relating to the transactions contemplated hereby. Such cooperation shall include the retention and (upon another Party’s request) the provision of records and information that are relevant to any such Tax Return or audit, litigation or other proceeding and making employees or representatives available on a mutually convenient basis to provide additional information and explanation of any material provided under this Agreement.

 

8.11    Transfer Taxes. The Parties do not expect any Transfer Taxes to arise by reason of the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. To the extent that any Transfer Taxes are assessed, such Transfer Taxes will be borne by the Company. The Parties will cooperate in good faith in the filing of any Tax Returns with respect to Transfer Taxes and with respect to minimizing, to the extent permissible under Law, the amount of any Transfer Taxes.

 

8.12    Tax Reporting. The Parties intend, for U.S. federal income (and applicable state and local) tax purposes, that the Merger qualify as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code to the extent that the applicable requirements are otherwise satisfied, and the Merger, Business Combination and, to the extent an election to pay all cash consideration has not been made, the acquisition of the Grenadier Assets pursuant to the Grenadier PSA, together, qualify (in whole or in part) for nonrecognition of gain or loss pursuant to Section 351 of the Code. Unless required to do so as a result of a “determination” as defined in Section 1313(a) of the Code, each of the Parties agrees not to make any tax filing or otherwise take any position inconsistent with this Section 8.12 and to cooperate with each other Party to make any filings, statements or reports required to effect, disclose or report the Transactions as described in this Section 8.12.

 

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8.13    The Proxy Statement and the Special Meeting.

 

(a)     As promptly as reasonably practicable after the date hereof, Parent and Contributor will prepare and Parent will file with the SEC a proxy statement and registration statement on Form S-4 with respect to the Transactions and the Parent Offer (as amended or supplemented from time to time, the “Proxy Statement”) in preliminary form. Unless the Parent Board has made a Change in Recommendation in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, the Parent Board Recommendation shall be included in the Proxy Statement. The Proxy Statement shall also include the registration of shares of Company Common Stock to be issuable as Merger Consideration, the registration of Company Warrants contemplated in Section 2.6(c) and the registration of Company Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of such Company Warrants. Parent shall provide copies of the proposed final form of Proxy Statement to Contributor such that Contributor and its Representatives are afforded a reasonable amount of time prior to the dissemination or filing thereof to review such materials and comment thereon prior to such dissemination or filing, and Parent shall consider in good faith any comments of such Persons and shall make Parent’s Representatives available to discuss such comments with such Persons. Parent shall provide Contributor with copies of any written comments and inform Contributor of the material terms of any oral comments that Parent receives from the SEC or its staff with respect to the Proxy Statement promptly after the receipt of such comments and Parent and Contributor shall prepare any proposed written or material oral responses to such comments and Parent shall give Contributor a reasonable opportunity under the circumstances to review and comment on any final form of proposed written or material oral responses to such comments and Parent shall reasonably consider such comments in good faith. Parent will cause the Proxy Statement to be transmitted to the holders of Parent Common Stock as promptly as practicable following the date on which the SEC confirms it has no further comments on the Proxy Statement.

 

(b)     Parent will take, in accordance with applicable Law, NYSE rules, the rules of any other applicable stock exchange and the Organizational Documents of Parent, all action necessary to call, hold and convene a special meeting of holders of Parent Common Stock (including any adjournment or postponement, the “Special Meeting”) to consider and vote upon the Business Combination Proposal, as promptly as reasonably practicable after the filing of the Proxy Statement in definitive form with the SEC. Subject to any adjournment in accordance with this Section 8.13, Parent will convene and hold the Special Meeting not later than ten (10) Business Days following the mailing of the Proxy Statement to the holders of Parent Common Stock. Once the Special Meeting to consider and vote upon the Business Combination Proposal has been called and noticed, Parent will not postpone or adjourn the Special Meeting without the consent of Contributor, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed, other than (i) for the absence of a quorum, (ii) to allow reasonable additional time for the filing and mailing of any supplemental or amended disclosure that Parent has determined in good faith, after consultation with its outside legal advisors, is necessary under applicable Law and for such supplemental or amended disclosure to be disseminated to and reviewed by the holders of Parent Common Stock prior to the Special Meeting or (iii) an adjournment or postponement of up to 10 Business Days to solicit additional proxies from holders of Parent Common Stock. Subject to Section 8.13(c), Parent will take all reasonable lawful action to solicit Parent Stockholder Approval of the Business Combination Proposal. Parent shall not terminate or withdraw the Parent Offer, other than in connection with the valid termination of this Agreement or with the prior written consent of Contributor.

 

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(c)    The Parent Board (upon the recommendation of the Special Committee) will recommend that the holders of Parent Common Stock approve the Business Combination Proposal (the “Parent Board Recommendation”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, at any time prior to obtaining the Parent Stockholder Approval at the Special Meeting, the Parent Board may, based upon the recommendation of the Special Committee, withdraw, modify or qualify in any manner the Parent Board Recommendation (any such action a “Change in Recommendation”) only (i) in response to an Intervening Event and (ii) if, based on the recommendation of the Special Committee, the Parent Board shall have concluded in good faith, after consultation with its outside legal advisors and financial advisors, that the failure to take such action in response to such Intervening Event is necessary to comply with its duties under the Organizational Documents of Parent or is reasonably likely to be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable Law; provided, however, that the Parent Board shall not be entitled to exercise its rights to make such a Change in Recommendation pursuant to this sentence unless (A) Parent has provided to Contributor three Business Days’ (a “Notice Period”) prior written notice advising Contributor that the Parent Board intends to take such action and specifying the reasons therefor in reasonable detail (including the facts and circumstances relating to such Intervening Event (an “Intervening Event Notice”) (it being understood that such Intervening Event Notice shall not in itself be deemed a Change in Recommendation and that any material change to the facts or circumstances relating to such Intervening Event shall require a new Intervening Event Notice)), (B) during such Notice Period, if requested by Contributor, Parent shall, and shall make available and direct its applicable Representatives to, discuss and negotiate in good faith with Contributor any proposed modifications to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and (C) following such Notice Period, the Parent Board, after taking into account any modifications to the terms of this Agreement and the Transactions to which Contributor would agree, concludes in good faith, based on the recommendation of the Special Committee, and after consultation with its outside legal advisors and financial advisors, that the failure to take such action in response to such Intervening Event is necessary to comply with its duties under the Organizational Documents of Parent or is reasonably likely to be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable Law. For the avoidance of doubt, unless this Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms, any Change in Recommendation will not (I) change the approval of this Agreement or any other approval of the Parent Board or (II) relieve Parent of any of its obligations under this Agreement, including its obligation to hold the Special Meeting.

 

8.14    Cooperation on Proxy Statement and Financing Matters.

 

(a)     Prior to the Closing and in connection with Parent’s preparation of the Proxy Statement, any other filing required to be made by Parent with the SEC under the Exchange Act or any responses to any comments from the SEC relating to the Proxy Statement or other required filings, Contributor shall use its reasonable best efforts to provide to Parent, and shall cause each of the HighPeak Entities to use its reasonable best efforts to provide, and shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause its Representatives, to provide all cooperation reasonably requested by Parent that is customary in connection with the preparation of the Proxy Statement and such other filings or responses to SEC comments (provided that such requested cooperation does not unreasonably interfere with the ongoing operations of the HighPeak Entities), which reasonable best efforts shall include, among other things, obtaining the consents of any auditor to the inclusion of the financial statements of the HighPeak Entities in the Proxy Statement and other filings with the SEC. Contributor hereby consents, on behalf of itself and on behalf of the HighPeak Entities, to Parent’s use of any audited or unaudited financial statements relating to the HighPeak Entities or entities or businesses acquired by the HighPeak Entities reasonably requested by Parent to be used in the Proxy Statement and any other filings that Parent makes with the SEC.

 

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(b)     Prior to the Closing and in connection with any financing activities of Parent or Contributor with respect to ensuring HighPeak Assets II shall have sufficient funds to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Grenadier PSA, each Party shall use its reasonable best efforts to provide to the other Parties, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to use its reasonable best efforts to provide, and shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause its Representatives to provide, in each case, at such requesting Party’s sole expense (with respect to out-of-pocket expenses), all cooperation reasonably requested by such Party that is customary in connection with completing any financing activities, including (i) the proposed PIPE Investment, (ii) the Forward Purchases, (iii) any Parent Party obtaining a revolving credit facility or term loan or (v) any other financing activities permitted pursuant to Section 8.1 or Section 8.2, as applicable, and including any activities related to obtaining such consents as are required to be obtained in connection with any such financing activities (provided that, in each case, such requested cooperation does not unreasonably interfere with the ongoing operations of any Party or any of the Transferred Entities), which reasonable best efforts shall include, among other things, (A) furnishing, reasonably promptly following receipt of a request therefore, information regarding the Transferred Entities or any Party (including information to be used in the preparation of one or more information packages regarding the business, operations, financial projections and prospects of any Transferred Entities or Parent Parties) customary for such financing activities, to the extent reasonably available, (B) causing senior management and other representatives with appropriate seniority and expertise to participate in a reasonable number of meetings (including customary one-on-one meetings with the parties acting as lead arrangers, bookrunners or agents for, and prospective lenders of, such financing), presentations, due diligence sessions, drafting sessions and sessions with rating agencies in connection with such financing activities, (C) assisting with the preparation of materials for rating agency presentations, bank information memoranda, and similar documents required in connection any such financing activities, (D) using reasonable best efforts to obtain legal opinions reasonably requested by another Party in order to consummate such financing activities, (E) taking all corporate actions, subject to the occurrence of the Closing, reasonably requested by another Party or any financing sources of such other Party to permit the consummation of such financing activities and (F) cooperating with requests for due diligence to the extent customary and reasonable; provided, however, that no obligation of any Party or any of its Subsidiaries under any agreement, certificate, document or instrument shall be effective until the Closing and no Party or any of its Subsidiaries or Representatives shall be required to pay any commitment or other fee or incur any other liability in connection with any financing activities of another Party.

 

(c)     Any Party requesting cooperation from another Party pursuant to this Section 8.14 shall promptly, upon request by such cooperating Party, reimburse such cooperating Party for all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) incurred by such cooperating Party or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with the cooperation contemplated by this Section 8.14 and shall indemnify and hold harmless such cooperating Party, its Subsidiaries and their respective Representatives and Affiliates from and against any and all losses, damages, claims, costs or out-of-pocket expenses suffered or incurred by any of them in connection with the arrangement of any financing or any stockholder, member or limited partner, as the case may be, approval process and any information used in connection therewith, except for liabilities of the cooperating Party to the extent they resulted from (i) information provided by the cooperating Party or any of its Subsidiaries containing any untrue statement of a material fact or omitting to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (ii) the willful misconduct of the cooperating Party or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

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8.15    Reasonable Best Efforts; Notification.

 

(a)     Except to the extent that the Parties’ obligations are specifically set forth elsewhere in this Article VIII, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, each of the Parties shall use its reasonable best efforts to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and to do, or cause to be done, and to assist and cooperate with the other Parties in doing, all things necessary, proper or advisable to consummate and make effective, in the most expeditious manner practicable, the Transactions.

 

(b)     The Parent Parties shall give prompt notice to Contributor, and Contributor shall give prompt notice to the Parent Parties, upon becoming aware of (i) any condition, event or circumstance that will result in any of the conditions in Article IX not being met, or (ii) the failure by Contributor, in the case of any Parent Party, or by any Parent Party, in the case of Contributor, to comply with or satisfy in any material respect any covenant, condition or agreement to be complied with or satisfied by it under this Agreement; provided, however, that no such notification or the delay or failure to provide such notification, shall affect the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements of the Parties or the conditions to the obligations of the Parties under this Agreement.

 

8.16    Trust Account. Upon satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in Article IX, and provision of notice thereof by Parent to the Trustee in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, (a) in accordance with and pursuant to the Trust Agreement, at the Closing, Parent shall cause the documents, opinions, and notices required to be delivered to the Trustee pursuant to the Trust Agreement to be so delivered and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Trustee to, and the Trustee shall thereupon be obligated to (i) pay as and when due all amounts payable to stockholders of Parent, and (ii) immediately thereafter, pay all remaining amounts then available in the Trust Account in accordance with this Agreement and the Trust Agreement, and (b) thereafter, the Trust Account shall terminate, except as otherwise provided therein, pursuant to Section 5 of the Trust Agreement, the termination of which shall be effected in accordance with Section 5(b) thereof.

 

8.17    Grenadier PSA.

 

(a)     Prior to the Closing, Contributor shall promptly deliver to the Company and Parent any and all Audited Financials, Required Seller Information, Additional Financial Statements and Additional Information (in each case, as such term is defined in the Grenadier PSA) HighPeak Assets II or any of its Affiliates receives from Grenadier prior to the Closing. Promptly following the Closing and in any event, on the same day as the Closing, (i) the Company shall, and shall cause HighPeak Assets II and the Surviving Corporation (as successor to Parent) to, consummate the transactions contemplated by the Grenadier PSA applicable to such Persons, including (A) the Company’s contribution of Company Common Stock and Company Warrants to HPK Energy, (B) HPK Energy’s contribution of such Company Common Stock and Company Warrants to HighPeak Assets II, (C) HighPeak Assets II’s transfer to Grenadier of such Company Common Stock and Company Warrants and the cash specified in the Grenadier PSA and (D) HighPeak Assets II’s acquisition of the Grenadier Assets and (ii) the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to provide, or cause to be provided, any replacement credit support required by any third party with respect to the Grenadier Assets.

 

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(b)      For the avoidance of doubt, (i) the only representations and warranties of Contributor in this Agreement regarding the Grenadier PSA and the Grenadier Assets shall be those expressly referencing the Grenadier PSA or the Grenadier Assets, as applicable, and contained in Sections 4.2(b), 5.3(a), 5.13(a), 5.5(c) and 5.15(c) and (ii) Contributor, for itself and on behalf of each Transferred Entity, hereby disclaims any and all other representations and warranties regarding the Grenadier PSA and the Grenadier Assets.

 

8.18    First Amended Charter and First Amended Bylaws; Requisite Approvals. At or prior to the Merger Effective Time, the Company shall file an amended and restated certificate of incorporation with the Delaware Secretary of State in the form attached hereto as Exhibit H (the “First Amended Charter”); provided, however, that the Company shall have no obligation to file the First Amended Charter until each of the conditions to the Closing set forth in Section 9.1 and Section 9.2 have been satisfied or irrevocably waived (other than those conditions that by their nature cannot be satisfied until the Closing, but subject to such conditions being reasonably expected to be satisfied at the Closing). Promptly (and in any event within twenty-four (24) hours) after the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Parties, (a) Parent, in its capacity as the sole stockholder of the Company, shall deliver to the Company and Contributor a written consent irrevocably approving (i) this Agreement, (ii) the Transactions applicable to the Company, (iii) the First Amended Charter effective as of the Merger Effective Time, (iv) the adoption of the amended and restated bylaws of the Company in the form attached hereto as Exhibit I effective as of the Merger Effective Time and (v) the adoption of the LTIP (the “Company Stockholder Approval”), and (b) the Company, in its capacity as the sole stockholder of Merger Sub, shall deliver to Merger Sub and Contributor a written consent irrevocably approving this Agreement and the Transactions applicable to Merger Sub, including the Merger (the “Merger Sub Stockholder Approval”).

 

8.19    Directors and Officers of the Company. Prior to the Closing, the board of directors of the Company (the “Company Board”) shall consist of a sole director, who shall be Jack Hightower, subject to his earlier death, disability, resignation or disqualification. Until the date that is five (5) Business Days prior to the date on which the Proxy Statement becomes effective, Contributor may deliver to Parent a list of any individuals that Contributor desires to be appointed to the Company Board effective as of the Closing. Parent, the Company and the Company Board shall take all action necessary to effect the appointments timely designated by Contributor effective as of immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time and shall cause the Company Board to not contain any other individuals serving thereon as of the Closing.

 

8.20    Listing. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Merger Consideration and the Stock Consideration to be approved for listing on Nasdaq or NYSE, subject to official notice of issuance, prior to the Closing Date.

 

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8.21    Post-Closing Revenues and Expenses. Following the Closing, if Contributor or any Affiliate of Contributor receives revenues or proceeds that are the property of the Transferred Entities, Contributor shall cause such revenues or proceeds to be promptly delivered to the Transferred Entities. Following the Closing, if Contributor or any Affiliate of Contributor pays or receives an invoice, bill or other request or demand for payment for an amount for which the Transferred Entities are responsible or that it otherwise attributable to any of the assets or properties (including Oil and Gas Properties) of any of the Transferred Entities or that the Transferred Entities operate, then, promptly following the Company receiving written notice thereof with reasonable supporting documentation, the Company shall (or shall cause the Transferred Entities to) reimburse Contributor or its applicable Affiliate such amount or pay the applicable counterparty such amount, as applicable.

 

8.22    Merger of HPK Energy with and into the Surviving Corporation. Promptly after the Grenadier Closing, the Company shall cause HPK Energy to merge with and into the Surviving Corporation, with the Surviving Corporation surviving such merger and the HPK Interests being cancelled for no consideration. Upon the consummation of such merger, any Sponsor Loans between the Surviving Corporation and any of the Transferred Entities shall be immediately and automatically cancelled with no further action required by any Person.

 

Article IX
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

 

9.1      Conditions to Each Party’s Obligation to Consummate the Transactions. The respective obligation of each Party to consummate the Transactions is subject to the satisfaction at or prior to the Closing of the following conditions, any or all of which may be waived jointly by the Parties, in whole or in part, to the extent permitted by applicable Law:

 

(a)     Regulatory Approval. If applicable, any waiting period applicable to the Transactions under the HSR Act shall have been terminated or shall have expired.

 

(b)     No Injunctions or Restraints. No Governmental Entity having jurisdiction over any Party hereto shall have issued any order, decree, ruling, injunction or other action that is in effect (whether temporary, preliminary or permanent) restraining, enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the consummation of the Transactions and no Law shall have been adopted that makes consummation of the Transactions illegal or otherwise prohibited.

 

(c)     Stockholder Approval. The Business Combination Proposal shall have been approved by the Parent Stockholder Approval at the Special Meeting and the Company Stockholder Approval and the Merger Sub Stockholder Approval shall have been obtained.

 

(d)     Parent Offer. The closing of the Parent Offer shall have occurred.

 

(e)     Minimum Available Liquidity. The amount of Available Liquidity shall not be less than $275,000,000.

 

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(f)     Grenadier Closing. (i) Grenadier shall be ready, willing and able to consummate the transactions under the Grenadier PSA, (ii) the conditions precedent to HighPeak Assets II’s obligations to consummate the Grenadier PSA shall have been satisfied or waived and (iii) the consummation of the transactions under the Grenadier PSA shall occur promptly following the Closing, and in any event, on the same day as the Closing.

 

9.2      Additional Conditions to Obligations of Contributor. The obligations of Contributor to consummate the Transactions are subject to the satisfaction at or prior to the Closing of the following conditions, any or all of which may be waived exclusively by Contributor, in whole or in part, to the extent permitted by applicable Law:

 

(a)     Representations and Warranties of the Parent Parties. (i) The representations and warranties of the Parent Parties, as applicable, set forth in Sections 6.1, 6.2(a), 6.5, 7.1, 7.2(a), 7.4 and 7.5 shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date, as though made on and as of the Closing Date (except that representations and warranties that speak as of a specified date shall have been true and correct only as of such respective date), and (ii) all other representations and warranties of the Parent Parties set forth in Article VI and Article VII shall be true and correct as of the Closing Date, as though made on and as of the Closing Date (except that representations and warranties that speak as of a specified date shall have been true and correct only as of such respective date), except where the failure of such representations and warranties to be so true and correct (without regard to qualification or exceptions contained therein as to “materiality,” “Parent Subsidiary Material Adverse Effect” or “Parent Material Adverse Effect”) would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Parent Subsidiary Material Adverse Effect or Parent Material Adverse Effect, as applicable.

 

(b)     Performance of Obligations of the Parent Parties. The Parent Parties shall have performed, or complied with, in all material respects all agreements and covenants required to be performed or complied with by such entity under this Agreement at or prior to the Closing.

 

(c)     Compliance Certificate. Contributor shall have received a certificate signed by an executive officer of each of the Parent Parties, dated the Closing Date, confirming that the conditions in Sections 9.2(a) and (b) have been satisfied.

 

(d)     Listing. The Merger Consideration and the Stock Consideration shall have been approved for listing on Nasdaq or NYSE, subject only to official notice of issuance thereof.

 

(e)     Parent Transferred Cash. Parent shall have transferred or as of the Closing shall transfer to Company cash or immediately available funds equal to the funds in the Trust Account (net of the Parent Stockholder Redemption Amount and payment of any Transactions Expenses of Parent), together with the net cash proceeds to Parent resulting from any issuance of Parent Class A Common Stock after the date hereof and before the Closing.

 

(f)     Closing Deliveries. The Parent Parties shall have delivered, or shall stand ready to deliver, the closing deliveries set forth in Section 3.4(c) and Section 3.4(a), respectively.

 

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9.3      Additional Conditions to Obligations of the Parent Parties. The obligations of the Parent Parties to consummate the Transactions are subject to the satisfaction at or prior to the Closing of the following conditions, any or all of which may be waived exclusively by Parent, in whole or in part, to the extent permitted by applicable Law:

 

(a)     Representations and Warranties of Contributor. (i) The representations and warranties of Contributor set forth in Sections 4.1, 4.2(a), 4.5, 4.6, 5.1, 5.2 and 5.17 shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date, as though made on and as of the Closing Date (except that, respectively, representations and warranties that speak as of a specified date shall have been true and correct only as of such date), and (ii) all other representations and warranties of Contributor set forth in Article IV and Article V shall be true and correct as of the Closing Date, as though made on and as of the Closing Date (except that, respectively, representations and warranties that speak as of a specified date shall have been true and correct only as of such date) except where the failure of such representations and warranties to be so true and correct (without regard to qualification or exceptions contained therein as to “materiality”, “Contributor Material Adverse Effect” or “HighPeak Material Adverse Effect”) that would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Contributor Material Adverse Effect or a HighPeak Material Adverse Effect.

 

(b)     Performance of Obligations of Contributor. Contributor shall have performed, or complied with, in all material respects all agreements and covenants required to be performed or complied with by it under this Agreement at or prior to the Closing.

 

(c)     Compliance Certificate. The Parent Parties shall have received a certificate signed by an executive officer of Contributor dated the Closing Date, confirming that the conditions in Sections 9.3(a) and (b) have been satisfied.

 

(d)     Closing Deliveries. Contributor shall have delivered, or shall stand ready to deliver, the closing deliveries set forth in Section 3.4(b).

 

9.4      Action by Parent. Parent shall not agree to waive, in whole or in part, any of the conditions to the Closing set forth in Section 9.1 or Section 9.3 unless the Parent Board has received the recommendation and prior approval of the Special Committee to grant any such waiver.

 

Article X
TERMINATION

 

10.1    Termination. This Agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the Closing as follows:

 

(a)     by mutual written consent of Parent and Contributor;

 

(b)     by any Party:

 

(i)     if any Governmental Entity having jurisdiction over any Party hereto shall have issued any order, decree, ruling or injunction or taken any other action permanently restraining, enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the consummation of the Transactions and such order, decree, ruling or injunction or other action shall have become final and nonappealable or if there shall be adopted any Law that makes consummation of the Transactions illegal or otherwise prohibited; provided, however, that the right to terminate this Agreement under this Section 10.1(b)(i) shall not be available to the terminating Party if the failure to fulfill any material covenant or agreement under this Agreement by any Parent Party (in the case where a Parent Party is the terminating Party) or Contributor (in the case where Contributor is the terminating Party) has been the cause of or resulted in the action or event described in this Section 10.1(b)(i) occurring;

 

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(ii)     in the event of a breach by a Parent Party (in the case where Contributor is the terminating Party) or by Contributor (in the case where a Parent Party is the terminating Party) of any representation, warranty, covenant or other agreement contained in this Agreement which (A) would give rise to the failure of a condition set forth in Section 9.2(a) or (b) or Section 9.3(a) or (b), if it was continuing as of the Closing Date and (B) cannot be or has not been cured by the earlier of 30 days (or such shorter number of days in the period from the date of notice of such breach as provided to the breaching party and the End Date) after the giving of written notice to the breaching Party of such breach and the basis for such notice, and the End Date (a “Terminable Breach”); provided, however, that the terminating Party and its Affiliates is not then in Terminable Breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or other agreement contained in this Agreement;

 

(iii)     if, after the final adjournment of the Special Meeting at which a vote of Parent’s stockholders has been taken in accordance with this Agreement, the Parent Stockholder Approval has not been obtained; or

 

(iv)     if the Transactions shall not have been consummated on or before 5:00 p.m., Houston time, on February 21, 2020 (such date being the “End Date”); provided, however, that the right to terminate this Agreement under this Section 10.1(b)(iv) shall not be available to the terminating Party if the failure to fulfill any material covenant or agreement under this Agreement by a Parent Party (in the case where a Parent Party is the terminating Party) or Contributor (in the case where Contributor is the terminating Party) has been the cause of or resulted in the failure of the Transactions to occur on or before such date.

 

10.2    Notice of Termination; Effect of Termination.

 

(a)     A terminating Party shall provide written notice of termination to all the other Parties specifying with particularity the reason for such termination, and any termination shall be effective immediately upon delivery of such written notice to all the other Parties.

 

(b)     In the event of termination of this Agreement by Parent or Contributor as provided in Section 10.1, this Agreement shall forthwith become void and there shall be no liability or obligation on the part of any Party hereto except with respect to this Section 10.2, Section 8.4(a), Section 8.4(b), Section 10.3 and Articles I and XI; provided, however, that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no such termination shall relieve any Party from liability for any damages for a Willful and Material Breach of a covenant, agreement or obligation hereunder.

 

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10.3    Expenses and Other Payments.

 

(a)     Upon and following consummation of the Transactions, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the Company shall pay all of its own expenses and the expenses of Contributor (to the extent not paid by or on behalf of Contributor prior to the Closing) and of the Parent Parties, in each case, as such expenses are incident to preparing for, entering into and carrying out this Agreement and the consummation of the Transactions, including, for the avoidance of doubt, the preparation for, entrance into and carrying out of the Grenadier PSA and any predecessor agreement thereto and the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby (“Transaction Expenses”); provided, however, that notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Parties agree and acknowledge that Contributor’s Transaction Expenses for which the Company shall be responsible shall include, without limitation, all Transaction Expenses of Contributor’s Affiliates. In the event this Agreement is terminated, each Party shall bear its own expenses except as otherwise provided in this Agreement.

 

(b)     For purposes of clarification, nothing contained in this Section 10.3 shall prevent, limit, impede or otherwise impair the ability of a Party to seek, enforce or otherwise pursue any remedy available to it pursuant to Section 11.11 at any time prior to valid termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Article X.

 

Article XI
GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

11.1     Schedule Definitions. All capitalized terms in the Contributor Disclosure Letter and the Parent Disclosure Letter shall have the meanings ascribed to them herein except as otherwise defined therein.

 

11.2     Survival. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, none of the representations, warranties, agreements and covenants contained in this Agreement will survive the Closing; provided, however, the agreements of the Parties in Articles I, II, III and XI and Sections 8.4(b), 8.6, 8.8, 8.10, 8.11, 8.12, 8.14(c), 8.16, 8.17, 8.21, 8.22, 10.3(a) and the general provisions in this Article XI will survive the Closing (the “Surviving Provisions”). After the Closing, other than as set forth in this Agreement or in any other Transaction Agreement, (i) there shall be no liability or obligation on the part of any Party hereto to any other Party (except for fraud) and (ii) no Party shall bring any claim of any nature against any other Party (other than any claim of fraud); provided, however, that nothing in this sentence shall affect the agreements of the Parties with respect to the Surviving Provisions.

 

11.3     Notices. All notices, requests and other communications to any Party under, or otherwise in connection with, this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (a) if delivered in person; (b) if transmitted by facsimile (but only upon confirmation of transmission by the transmitting equipment); (c) if transmitted by e-mail (but only upon confirmation of transmission); or (d) if transmitted by national overnight courier, in each case, as addressed as follows:

 

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(i)           if to Contributor, to:

 

HighPeak Energy, LP or such other Contributor
421 W. 3rd Street, Suite 1000
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Attention: Ryan Hightower
E-mail: * * *

 

with a required copy to (which copy shall not constitute notice):

 

Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.
1001 Fannin, Suite 2500
Houston, Texas 77002
Attention: Sarah K. Morgan and

      Jeffery B. Floyd
Facsimile: (713) 615-5234 and (713) 615-5660
E-mail: smorgan@velaw.com and jfloyd@velaw.com

 

(ii)         if to the Contributor Representative, to:

 

HighPeak Energy Management, LLC
421 W. 3rd Street, Suite 1000
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Attention: Ryan Hightower
E-mail: * * *

 

with a required copy to (which copy shall not constitute notice):

 

Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.
1001 Fannin, Suite 2500
Houston, Texas 77002
Attention: Sarah K. Morgan and

   Jeffery B. Floyd
Facsimile: ( 713) 615-5234 and (713) 615-5660
E-mail: smorgan@velaw.com and jfloyd@velaw.com

 

(iii)        if to any Parent Party, to:

 

Pure Acquisition Corp. or such other Parent Party
421 W. 3rd Street, Suite 1000
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Attention: Steve Tholen
E-mail: * * *

 

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with a required copy to (which copy shall not constitute notice):

 

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
600 Travis Street, Suite 4200
Houston, Texas 77002
Attention: G. Michael O’Leary
Facsimile: (713) 220-4285
E-mail: moleary@HuntonAK.com

 

11.4    Rules of Construction.

 

(a)     Each of the Parties acknowledges that it has been represented by counsel of its choice throughout all negotiations that have preceded the execution of this Agreement and that it has executed the same with the advice of said independent counsel. Each Party and its counsel cooperated in the drafting and preparation of this Agreement and the documents referred to herein, and any and all drafts relating thereto exchanged between the Parties shall be deemed the work product of the Parties and may not be construed against any Party by reason of its preparation. Accordingly, any rule of law or any legal decision that would require interpretation of any ambiguities in this Agreement against any Party that drafted it is of no application and is hereby expressly waived.

 

(b)     The inclusion of any information in the Contributor Disclosure Letter or the Parent Disclosure Letter shall not be deemed an admission or acknowledgment, in and of itself and solely by virtue of the inclusion of such information in the Contributor Disclosure Letter or the Parent Disclosure Letter, as applicable, that such information is required to be listed in the Contributor Disclosure Letter or the Parent Disclosure Letter, as applicable, that such items are material to any Party or any of its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, or that such items have resulted in a HighPeak Material Adverse Effect, Contributor Material Adverse Effect, Parent Subsidiary Material Adverse Effect or Parent Material Adverse Effect. The headings, if any, of the individual sections of each of the Contributor Disclosure Letter and the Parent Disclosure Letter are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute a part thereof or a part of this Agreement. The Contributor Disclosure Letter and the Parent Disclosure Letter are arranged in sections corresponding to the Sections of this Agreement merely for convenience, and the disclosure of an item in one section of the Contributor Disclosure Letter or the Parent Disclosure Letter as an exception to a particular representation or warranty shall be deemed adequately disclosed as an exception with respect to all other representations or warranties to the extent that the relevance of such item to such representations or warranties is reasonably apparent from such item, notwithstanding the presence or absence of an appropriate section of the Contributor Disclosure Letter or the Parent Disclosure Letter with respect to such other representations or warranties or an appropriate cross reference thereto.

 

(c)     The specification of any dollar amount in the representations and warranties or otherwise in this Agreement or in the Contributor Disclosure Letter or the Parent Disclosure Letter is not intended and shall not be deemed to be an admission or acknowledgment of the materiality of such amounts or items, nor shall the same be used in any dispute or controversy between the Parties to determine whether any obligation, item or matter (whether or not described herein or included in any schedule) is or is not material for purposes of this Agreement.

 

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(d)     All references in this Agreement to Exhibits, Schedules, Articles, Sections, subsections and other subdivisions refer to the corresponding Exhibits, Schedules, Articles, Sections, subsections and other subdivisions of this Agreement unless expressly provided otherwise. Titles appearing at the beginning of any Articles, Sections, subsections or other subdivisions of this Agreement are for convenience only, do not constitute any part of such Articles, Sections, subsections or other subdivisions, and shall be disregarded in construing the language contained therein. The words “this Agreement,” “herein,” “hereby,” “hereunder” and “hereof” and words of similar import, refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular subdivision unless expressly so limited. The words “this Section,” “this subsection” and words of similar import, refer only to the Sections or subsections hereof in which such words occur. The word “including” (in its various forms) means “including, without limitation.” The word “or” is not exclusive unless the context otherwise requires. Pronouns in masculine, feminine or neuter genders shall be construed to state and include any other gender and words, terms and titles (including terms defined herein) in the singular form shall be construed to include the plural and vice versa, unless the context otherwise expressly requires. Unless the context otherwise requires, all defined terms contained herein shall include the singular and plural and the conjunctive and disjunctive forms of such defined terms. Unless the context otherwise requires, all references to a specific time shall refer to Houston, Texas time.

 

(e)     In this Agreement, except as the context may otherwise require, references to: (i) any agreement (including this Agreement), contract, statute or regulation are to the agreement, contract, statute or regulation as amended, modified, supplemented, restated or replaced from time to time (in the case of an agreement or contract, to the extent permitted by the terms thereof and, if applicable, by the terms of this Agreement); (ii) any Governmental Entity include any successor to that Governmental Entity; (iii) any applicable Law refers to such applicable Law as amended, modified, supplemented or replaced from time to time (and, in the case of statutes, include any rules and regulations promulgated under such statute) and references to any section of any applicable Law or other law include any successor to such section; and (iv) “days” means calendar days.

 

11.5     Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, including via facsimile transmission or email in “portable document format” (“.pdf”) form, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement, it being understood that all Parties need not sign the same counterpart.

 

11.6     Entire Agreement; Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement (together with the Transaction Agreements and any other documents and instruments executed pursuant hereto) constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, both written and oral, among the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof. Except for the provisions of Sections 8.6, 8.21, 11.10 and 11.15 (which from and after the Closing are intended for the benefit of, and shall be enforceable by, the Persons referred to therein and by their respective heirs and representatives), nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to or shall confer upon any Person other than the Parties any right, benefit or remedy of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

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11.7     Governing Law; Venue; Waiver of Jury Trial.

 

(a)     THIS AGREEMENT, AND ALL CLAIMS OR CAUSES OF ACTION (WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR TORT) THAT MAY BE BASED UPON, ARISE OUT OF RELATE TO THIS AGREEMENT, OR THE NEGOTIATION, EXECUTION OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS AGREEMENT, SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO THE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW THEREOF.

 

(b)     THE PARTIES IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE COURT OF CHANCERY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE (OR, IF THE COURT OF CHANCERY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE OR THE DELAWARE SUPREME COURT DETERMINES THAT THE COURT OF CHANCERY DOES NOT HAVE OR SHOULD NOT EXERCISE SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION OVER SUCH MATTER, THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE) AND THE FEDERAL COURTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA LOCATED IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE SOLELY IN CONNECTION WITH ANY DISPUTE THAT ARISES IN RESPECT OF THE INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THE DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THIS AGREEMENT OR IN RESPECT OF THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, AND HEREBY WAIVE, AND AGREE NOT TO ASSERT, AS A DEFENSE IN ANY ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING FOR INTERPRETATION OR ENFORCEMENT HEREOF OR ANY SUCH DOCUMENT THAT IT IS NOT SUBJECT THERETO OR THAT SUCH ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING MAY NOT BE BROUGHT OR IS NOT MAINTAINABLE IN SAID COURTS OR THAT VENUE THEREOF MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE OR THAT THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY SUCH DOCUMENT MAY NOT BE ENFORCED IN OR BY SUCH COURTS, AND THE PARTIES IRREVOCABLY AGREE THAT ALL CLAIMS WITH RESPECT TO SUCH ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING SHALL BE HEARD AND DETERMINED EXCLUSIVELY BY SUCH A DELAWARE FEDERAL OR STATE COURT. THE PARTIES HEREBY CONSENT TO AND GRANT ANY SUCH COURT JURISDICTION OVER THE PERSON OF SUCH PARTIES AND OVER THE SUBJECT MATTER OF SUCH DISPUTE AND AGREE THAT MAILING OF PROCESS OR OTHER PAPERS IN CONNECTION WITH SUCH ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING IN THE MANNER PROVIDED IN SECTION 11.3 OR IN SUCH OTHER MANNER AS MAY BE PERMITTED BY LAW SHALL BE VALID AND SUFFICIENT SERVICE THEREOF.

 

(c)     EACH PARTY ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT ANY CONTROVERSY WHICH MAY ARISE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT IS LIKELY TO INVOLVE COMPLICATED AND DIFFICULT ISSUES, AND THEREFORE EACH SUCH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT SUCH PARTY MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT. EACH PARTY CERTIFIES AND ACKNOWLEDGES THAT (I) NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER; (II) SUCH PARTY UNDERSTANDS AND HAS CONSIDERED THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE FOREGOING WAIVER; (III) SUCH PARTY MAKES THE FOREGOING WAIVER VOLUNTARILY AND (IV) SUCH PARTY HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVER AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 11.7.

 

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11.8     Severability. Each Party agrees that, should any court or other competent Governmental Entity hold any provision of this Agreement or part hereof to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other term or provision of this Agreement or invalidate or render unenforceable such other term or provision in any other jurisdiction. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the Parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the Parties as closely as possible in a mutually acceptable manner in order that the transactions contemplated hereby be consummated as originally contemplated to the greatest extent possible. Except as otherwise contemplated by this Agreement, in response to an order from a court or other competent Governmental Entity for any Party to take any action inconsistent herewith or not to take an action consistent herewith or required hereby, to the extent that a Party hereto took an action inconsistent with this Agreement or failed to take action consistent with this Agreement or required by this Agreement pursuant to such order, such Party shall not incur any liability or obligation unless such Party did not in good faith seek to resist or object to the imposition or entering of such order.

 

11.9     Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any of the rights, interests or obligations hereunder may be assigned by any Party (whether by operation of law or otherwise) without the prior written consent of all the other Parties. Subject to the preceding sentence, this Agreement will be binding upon, inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Parties and their respective successors and assigns. Any purported assignment in violation of this Section 11.9 shall be void.

 

11.10     Affiliate Liability. No Affiliate or Representative of a Party or Representative of an Affiliate of a Party shall have any liability or obligation in its capacity as such to any other Party hereunder of any nature whatsoever in connection with or under this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (except, for the avoidance of doubt, to the extent that such Affiliate or Representative executes this Agreement or any other agreement, certificate or instrument as a principal intending to be legally bound thereby), and each Party hereby waives and releases all claims of any such liability and obligation.

 

11.11     Specific Performance. The Parties agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with its specific terms or were otherwise breached. Each Party agrees that, in the event of any breach or threatened breach by any other Party of any covenant or obligation contained in this Agreement, the non-breaching Party shall be entitled (in addition to any other remedy that may be available to it, including monetary damages) to seek and obtain (on behalf of itself and the third Party beneficiaries of this Agreement) (a) a decree or order of specific performance to enforce the observance and performance of such covenant or obligation and (b) an injunction restraining such breach or threatened breach. Each Party further agrees that no other Party hereto or any other Person shall be required to obtain, furnish or post any bond or similar instrument in connection with or as a condition to obtaining any remedy referred to in this Section 11.11, and each Party hereto irrevocably waives any right it may have to require the obtaining, furnishing or posting of any such bond or similar instrument.

 

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11.12     Amendment. This Agreement may not be amended except by an instrument in writing signed on behalf of each of the Parties, provided, however, that in the case of obtaining Parent’s approval, prior to the Closing, of any amendments that would affect in any material respect, the Merger Consideration, the terms of the Company Warrants, the Stock Consideration, the Forward Purchase Agreement Amendment, the Stockholders’ Agreement or the First Amended Charter, the Special Committee shall first approve in writing such amendments; provided, further, that prior to the Closing, the consent of the Contributor Representative shall not be required to amend this Agreement unless such amendment would adversely affect the Contributor Representative’s rights or increase the Contributor Representative’s obligations hereunder. Once Parent Stockholder Approval is received, the Parties agree that no amendment or modification may be made to this Agreement that would, by Law, require another vote of the stockholders of Parent without first obtaining the approval of Parent’s requisite stockholders.

 

11.13     Extension; Waiver. At any time prior to the Closing, the Company and Contributor may, to the extent legally allowed:

 

(a)     extend the time for the performance of any of the obligations or acts of the other Parties hereunder;

 

(b)     waive any inaccuracies in the representations and warranties of the other Parties contained herein or in any document delivered pursuant hereto; or

 

(c)     waive compliance with any of the agreements or conditions of the other Parties contained herein.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, no failure or delay by any Party in exercising any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise of any other right hereunder. No agreement on the part of a Party hereto to any such extension or waiver shall be effective or enforceable unless set forth in an instrument in writing signed on behalf of such Party.

 

11.14     Trust Account Waiver. Contributor acknowledges that Parent is a blank check company with the powers and privileges to effect a Business Combination (as defined in Parent’s Organizational Documents). Contributor further acknowledges that substantially all of Parent’s assets consist of the cash proceeds of Parent’s initial public offering and private placements of its securities and substantially all of those proceeds have been deposited in the Trust Account for the benefit of Parent, certain of its public stockholders and the underwriters of Parent’s initial public offering. For and in consideration of the Parent Parties entering into this Agreement, Contributor hereby irrevocably waives any right, title, interest or claim of any kind it has or may have in the future in or to any monies in the Trust Account and agrees not to seek recourse against the Trust Account or any funds distributed therefrom as a result of, or arising out of, this Agreement and any negotiations, contracts or agreements with any Parent Party; provided that (a) nothing herein shall serve to limit or prohibit Contributor’s right to pursue a claim against any Parent Party pursuant to this Agreement for legal relief against monies or other assets of any Parent Party held outside the Trust Account or, subject to Section 11.11, for specific performance or other equitable relief in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby or for fraud and (b) nothing herein shall serve to limit or prohibit any claims that Contributor may have in the future pursuant to this Agreement against the assets or funds of any Party hereto or any of their respective Subsidiaries that are, in each case, not held in the Trust Account.

 

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11.15     Releases.

 

(a)     Contributor hereby waives, acquits, forever discharges and releases, effective as of the Closing, on behalf of itself and each of its Controlled Affiliates (other than the Transferred Entities) and each of their respective past, present and future stockholders, partners, members and Representatives and each of their respective successors and assigns (collectively, its “Related Persons”), to the fullest extent permitted by Law, any and all causes of action, damages, judgments, liabilities and rights against the Parent Parties, each of their respective Subsidiaries and past, present and future equityholders, Affiliates and Representatives (collectively, the “Parent Related Persons”), whether absolute or contingent, liquidated or unliquidated, known or unknown, determined, determinable or otherwise, that Contributor or any of its Related Persons has ever had or may now or hereafter have to the extent, and only to the extent, arising from facts, occurrences or circumstances existing at or prior to the Closing, in each case, relating to the Transferred Entities or their respective businesses, arising from or relating to this Agreement or otherwise, whether in law or in equity, in contract, in tort or otherwise, in any capacity, including any claims to any additional Interests in any Parent Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries or any distributions or payments (as consideration of services or otherwise) from any Parent Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries by reason of any matter, cause or thing whatsoever other than (i) the applicable Surviving Provisions, (ii) any obligations owed to any officer, director, manager, employee or consultant pursuant to the Organizational Documents of any of the Transferred Entities or any Employee Benefit Plan or any other compensation or retention arrangement by any Transferred Entity, any Parent Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries and (iii) any obligations under any of the other Transaction Agreements (the “Contributor Released Claims”). Contributor agrees not to, and to cause its Related Persons not to, assert any Proceeding against any Parent Party, Parent Related Person or Transferred Entity with respect to Contributor Released Claims. Contributor agrees that it will not (and will not cause or permit any of its Related Persons to) exercise or assert any right of contribution, set-off or indemnity or any other right or remedy (including any such rights and remedies contained in the Organizational Documents of the Transferred Entities) against any Parent Party, Parent Related Person or Transferred Entity in connection with any liability for any Contributor Released Claim. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Section 11.15(a) shall not impose any restrictions or limitations on the ability of Contributor (or any of its Related Persons) to exercise or assert any rights or remedies against any Parent Party, Parent Related Person or Transferred Entity that may arise as a result of the ownership by Contributor or its Related Persons of any Interests in any Parent Party, Parent Related Person or Transferred Entity from and after the Closing.

 

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(b)     Each Parent Party hereby waives, acquits, forever discharges and releases, effective as of the Closing, on behalf of itself and its Related Persons (including the Transferred Entities), to the fullest extent permitted by Law, any and all causes of action, damages, judgments, liabilities and rights against Contributor and its past, present and future equityholders, Affiliates and Representatives (other than the Transferred Entities) (collectively, the “Contributor Related Persons”), whether absolute or contingent, liquidated or unliquidated, known or unknown, determined, determinable or otherwise, that such Parent Party or any of their Related Persons (including the Transferred Entities) has ever had or may now or hereafter have to the extent, and only to the extent, arising from facts, occurrences or circumstances existing at or prior to the Closing, in each case, relating to the Transferred Entities, their respective businesses or assets and properties or the ownership or operation thereof, including pursuant to the Organization Documents thereof (and any breaches thereof), arising from or relating to this Agreement or otherwise, whether in law or in equity, in contract, in tort or otherwise, in any capacity, other than the applicable Surviving Provisions (the “Parent Released Claims”). Each Parent Party agrees not to, and to cause its Related Persons not to, assert any Proceeding against Contributor or any Contributor Related Person with respect to any Parent Released Claim. Each Parent Party agrees that it will not (and will not cause or permit any of its Related Persons to) exercise or assert any right of contribution, set-off or indemnity or any other right or remedy against Contributor or any Contributor Related Person in connection with any liability to which a Parent Party or any of their respective Related Persons may become subject for any Parent Released Claim. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Section 11.15(b) shall not impose any restrictions or limitations on the ability of any Parent Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries to exercise or assert any rights or remedies against Contributor or any Contributor Related Person that may arise as a result of the ownership by Contributor or any Contributor Related Person of any Interests in any Parent Party, Parent Related Person or Transferred Entity from and after the Closing.

 

(c)     NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT TO THE CONTRARY, NO PARTY SHALL BE LIABLE FOR CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, EXEMPLARY, SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS, LOSS OF PRODUCTION, LOSS OF PROSPECTIVE ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE, LOSS OF A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, DIMINUTION IN VALUE OR OTHER DAMAGES ATTRIBUTABLE TO BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) ARISING UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR OTHERWISE AS A RESULT OF, RELATING TO OR ARISING FROM THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PARTIES HEREUNDER, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, OR WHETHER OR NOT THE PERSON AT FAULT KNEW, OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN, THAT SUCH DAMAGE WOULD BE LIKELY SUFFERED.

 

11.16     Contributor Representative.

 

(a)     Each Contributor hereby designates and appoints the Contributor Representative, and the Contributor Representative hereby agrees to serve, as agent and attorney-in-fact, for each Contributor (together with their respective successors and assigns, the “Represented Persons”), with full power and authority to take any and all actions that the Contributor Representative believes are necessary or appropriate to consummate the Transactions or otherwise take such actions as are provided herein, for and on behalf of the Represented Persons as fully as if each Represented Person was acting on its own behalf, including full power and authority on such Represented Person’s behalf to:

 

(i)      negotiate, defend, dispute, contest, assert, compromise and settle all claims and matters arising under this Agreement;

 

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(ii)      interpret all of the terms and provisions of this Agreement and each other Transaction Agreement;

 

(iii)     negotiate, consent to, execute and deliver any amendment, waiver or consent of or under this Agreement;

 

(iv)     authorize, negotiate, compromise, settle, agree to and otherwise handle any adjustments to the Unadjusted Shares under this Agreement;

 

(v)      agree to, negotiate, enter into settlements and compromises of, and comply with judgments of courts or other Governmental Entities and awards of arbitrators with respect to any claims for indemnification against any Parent Party, in each case, relating to this Agreement;

 

(vi)     agree to, negotiate, enter into settlements and compromises of, and comply with judgments of courts or other Governmental Entities;

 

(vii)   make, execute, and deliver all other contracts, orders, receipts, notices, requests, instructions, certificates, letters and other writings as the Contributor Representative may deem necessary and proper in connection with Contributor’s obligations under this Agreement or any other Transaction Agreement, or to effect any of the foregoing;

 

(viii)    give and receive notices and communications under this Agreement;

 

(ix)     take any and all other actions specified or contemplated by this Agreement, and to engage counsel, accountants or other agents in connection with the foregoing matters; and

 

(x)      take all actions that are either (A) necessary or appropriate in the judgment of the Contributor Representative for the accomplishment of the foregoing or (B) specifically mandated by this Agreement, in each case, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement or in furtherance of the Transactions;

 

providedhowever, that the Contributor Representative (acting as such) shall not take any action or enter into any agreements or settlements, without the prior written consent of any applicable Represented Person that would (x) disproportionately and adversely affect such Represented Person in relation to any other Represented Person or (y) result in any liability to a Represented Person other than liabilities contemplated in Section 3.2(e)(iv) to be satisfied out of shares of Company Common Stock. Notices or communications to or from the Contributor Representative shall constitute notice to or from the Represented Persons for all purposes under this Agreement except where the context otherwise requires. The Contributor Representative shall provide notices or communications received by it on behalf of the Represented Persons promptly and in any case no more than three (3) Business Days after receipt.

 

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(b)     A decision, act, consent or instruction of the Contributor Representative in accordance with the terms of this Agreement constitutes a decision, act, consent or instruction, as applicable, of the Represented Persons (except where the context otherwise requires or the consent of the Represented Persons is required and has not been obtained) and is final, binding and conclusive upon the Represented Persons, and any Person dealing with the Contributor Representative is entitled to rely on such decision, act, consent or instruction of the Contributor Representative as being the decision, act, consent or instruction of the Represented Persons.

 

(c)     This appointment and grant of power and authority by the Represented Persons to the Contributor Representative pursuant to this Section 11.16 is coupled with an interest, is in consideration of the mutual covenants made in this Agreement, is irrevocable and may not be terminated by the act of any Contributor or by operation of Laws, whether upon the death or incapacity of any Contributor, or by the occurrence of any other event.

 

(d)     The Company shall pay, including by advancing, all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses of the Contributor Representative, subject to reasonable supporting documentation provided by the Contributor Representative to the Company. The Contributor Representative will have no liability to any Party, or any Party’s respective successors or assigns, with respect to actions taken or omitted to be taken in the Contributor Representative’s capacity as the Contributor Representative.

 

(e)     Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Contributor Representative shall be considered a Party for purposes of this Article XI.

 

11.17     Several But Not Joint Liability. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the obligations of HighPeak I, HighPeak II, HighPeak III and HPK Energy GP under this Agreement shall be several but not joint, regardless of the use of the Contributor to refer to all of them in any given Section hereto, and each Contributor shall be then responsible for breaches of its own covenants, representations and warranties. In the event there are any breaches by more than one Contributor of any covenants, representations or warranties of Contributor hereunder, each breaching Contributor’s liability for damages for such breach shall be limited to such Contributor’s pro rata share of such breach (based on its Contributor Percentage Interest as it relates to the sum of the Contributor Percentage Interests of all Contributors in breach).

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each Party hereto has executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

 

HIGHPEAK ENERGY, LP

 

By:     HighPeak Energy GP, LLC

Its:      General Partner

 

 

By:       /s/ Jack Hightower                                     

Name:  Jack Hightower                                          

Title:    Chief Executive Officer                             

 

 

HIGHPEAK ENERGY II, LP

 

By:    HighPeak Energy GP II, LLC

Its:     General Partner

 

 

By:       /s/ Jack Hightower                                     

Name:  Jack Hightower                                          

Title:    Chief Executive Officer                             

 

 

HIGHPEAK ENERGY III, LP

 

By:    HighPeak Energy GP III, LLC

Its:     General Partner

 

 

By:       /s/ Jack Hightower                                     

Name:  Jack Hightower                                          

Title:    Chief Executive Officer                             

 

 

HPK ENERGY, LLC

 

 

By:       /s/ Jack Hightower                                     

Name:  Jack Hightower                                          

Title:    Chief Executive Officer                             

 

 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO BUSINESS COMBINATION AGREEMENT

 

 

 

 

 

Solely for limited purposes specified herein:

 

HIGHPEAK ENERGY MANAGEMENT, LLC

 

 

By:       /s/ Jack Hightower                                     

Name:  Jack Hightower                                          

Title:    Chief Executive Officer                             

 

 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO BUSINESS COMBINATION AGREEMENT

 

 

 

 

 

PURE ACQUISITION CORP.

 

 

By:       /s/ Steven W. Tholen                                 

Name:  Steven W. Tholen                                      

Title:    Chief Financial Officer                              

 

 

HIGHPEAK ENERGY, INC.

 

 

By:       /s/ Steven W. Tholen                                  

Name:  Steven W. Tholen                                       

Title:    Chief Financial Officer                               

 

 

PURE ACQUISITION MERGER SUB, INC.

 

 

By:       /s/ Steven W. Tholen                                 

Name:  Steven W. Tholen                                      

Title:    Chief Financial Officer                              

 

 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO BUSINESS COMBINATION AGREEMENT

 

 

 

 

Exhibit A 
Form of Stockholders’ Agreement

 

 

STOCKHOLDERS’ AGREEMENT

 

THIS STOCKHOLDERS’ AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of [ ], [ ], is made by and among HighPeak Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), HighPeak Pure Acquisition, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Sponsor”), HighPeak Energy Partners, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HPEP I”), HighPeak Energy Partners II, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HPEP II”), HighPeak Energy Partners III, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HPEP III”), HighPeak Warrant, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“HighPeak Warrant”) and Jack D. Hightower (“Hightower”). Sponsor, HPEP I, HPEP II, HPEP III and Hightower, including in each case their respective Affiliates and Permitted Transferees (each as defined herein), shall be referred to herein collectively as the “Principal Stockholder Group” and each individually as a “Principal Stockholder.” The Company, the Principal Stockholders and any other Stockholder may be referred to herein each as a “Party” and together as the “Parties.”

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, the Company has entered into a Business Combination Agreement, dated November 27, 2019 (as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the “HPK Business Combination Agreement”), by and among the Company, Pure Acquisition Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“MergerSub”), Pure Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Pure”), on the one part, and HighPeak Energy, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HighPeak I”), HighPeak Energy II, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HighPeak II”), HighPeak Energy III, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HighPeak III”), and HPK Energy, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“HPK GP” and, together with HighPeak I, HighPeak II and HighPeak III, the “Contributors”), on the other part, pursuant to which (i) MergerSub will merge with and into Pure, with Pure continuing as the surviving corporation of such merger, (ii) the Company will exchange, on a one-for-one basis, all shares of Class A common stock and Class B Common Stock of Pure that are issued and outstanding immediately prior to the merger (other than Class A Common Stock of Pure to be redeemed) for newly issued shares of Common Stock (as defined herein) of the Company and will be assigned Pure’s rights and obligations under the Warrant Agreement, dated April 12, 2018, between Pure and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent and (iii) the Contributors will contribute HPK Energy, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HPK”), to the Company on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein (the “HPK Business Combination”);

 

WHEREAS, HighPeak Energy Assets II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of HPK (“HighPeak Assets II”), will acquire certain oil and gas assets from Grenadier Energy Partners II, LLC (“Grenadier”) on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Contribution Agreement, dated as of November 27, 2019 (as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the “Grenadier Contribution Agreement” and, together with the HPK Business Combination Agreement, the “Business Combination Agreements”), by and among Pure, the Company and HighPeak Assets II, on the one part, and Grenadier, on the other part (the “Grenadier Purchase” and, together with the HPK Business Combination, the “Transactions”); and

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 3.4 of the HPK Business Combination Agreement, this Agreement is required to be executed and delivered at the closing of the Transactions (the “Closing”).

 

 

 

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual promises, covenants and agreements of the Parties, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the Parties agree as follows:

 

Article I
DEFINITIONS

 

Section 1.1     Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

Affiliate” shall mean, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by, or is under common control with, another Person. The term “control” and its derivatives with respect to any Person mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; provided that no Stockholder shall be deemed an Affiliate of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries for purposes of this Agreement.

 

Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble.

 

Amended Charter” shall have the meaning given to such term in the HPK Business Combination Agreement.

 

beneficial ownership,” including the correlative term “beneficially own,” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

Board” shall mean the board of directors of the Company.

 

Business Combination Agreements” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Chief Executive Officer” shall mean the chief executive officer of the Company.

 

Closing” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Closing Date” shall have the meaning given to such term in the HPK Business Combination Agreement.

 

Common Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in the Amended Charter.

 

Company” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble.

 

Company Charter” shall mean that Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, dated as of October 29, 2019, as subsequently amended prior to the date of this Agreement.

 

Confidential Information” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.4.

 

Contributors” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

 

 

 

Designated Director” shall mean any director designated for nomination by the Principal Stockholder Group.

 

Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Grenadier” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Grenadier PSA” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Grenadier Purchase” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Governmental Entity” shall mean any federal, state, local, municipal, tribal or other government; any governmental, regulatory or administrative agency, commission, body or other authority exercising or entitled to exercise any administrative, executive, judicial, legislative, regulatory or taxing authority or power, and any court or governmental tribunal, including any tribal authority having or asserting jurisdiction.

 

HighPeak I” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

HighPeak II” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

HighPeak III” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

HighPeak Assets II” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

HighPeak Warrant” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Hightower” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

HPEP I” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

HPEP II” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

HPEP III” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

HPK” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

HPK Business Combination” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

HPK Business Combination Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

HPK GP” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Indemnity Agreement” shall mean an Indemnity Agreement in the form attached as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed on [____], 2019.

 

Law” shall mean any applicable statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, order, code, ruling, writ, injunction, decree, or other official act of or by any Governmental Entity.

 

MergerSub” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Necessary Action” shall mean, with respect to any Party and a specified result, all actions (to the extent such actions are permitted by Law and within such Party’s control) necessary to cause such result, including (i) voting or providing a written consent or proxy with respect to the shares of Common Stock, (ii) causing the adoption of stockholders’ resolutions and amendments to the organizational documents of the Company, (iii) executing agreements and instruments, and (iv) making, or causing to be made, with governmental, administrative or regulatory authorities, all filings, registrations or similar actions that are required to achieve such result.

 

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Nominating and Governance Committee” shall mean the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board.

 

NYSE” shall mean the New York Stock Exchange or any stock exchange on which the Common Stock is traded following the date of this Agreement.

 

NYSE Rules” shall mean the rules and regulations of the NYSE.

 

Original Shares” shall mean the total shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately following the Closing.

 

Party and “Parties” shall have the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph herein.

 

Permitted Transferee” shall mean, with respect to any Person, (i) the direct or indirect partners, members, equity holders or other Affiliates of such Person, or (ii) any of such Person’s related investment funds or vehicles controlled or managed by such Person or Affiliate of such Person; provided, however, that in no event may any Principal Stockholder as of the date of this Agreement be permitted to Transfer any or all of its shares of Common Stock by means of a distribution of such shares to its direct or indirect partners, members or equityholders for a period of 180 days following the Closing Date, and in no event may any such partner, member or equityholder that receives any such shares of Common Stock in such a distribution be a Permitted Transferee.

 

Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association, trust, unincorporated organization, Governmental Entity or any other entity.

 

Principal Stockholder” or “Principal Stockholders” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Principal Stockholder Group” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Proxy Statement” shall have the meaning given to such term in the HPK Business Combination Agreement.

 

Pure” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Registration Rights Agreement” shall have the meaning given to such term in the HPK Business Combination Agreement.

 

Representatives” shall mean, with respect to any Person, any of such Person’s officers, directors, employees, agents, attorneys, accountants, actuaries, consultants, equity financing partners or financial advisors or other Person associated with, or acting on behalf of, such Person.

 

SEC” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor agency having jurisdiction under the Securities Act.

 

Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

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SOX” shall mean the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Sponsor” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Stockholder” shall mean any holder of Common Stock that is or becomes a party to this Agreement from time to time in accordance with the provisions hereof.

 

Subsidiary” shall mean, with respect to a specified Person, any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, joint venture, or other legal entity of which the specified Person (either alone or through or together with any other Subsidiary) owns, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the voting stock or other equity or partnership interests, the holders of which are generally entitled to vote for the election of the board of directors or other governing body of such legal entity, of which the specified Person controls the management, or in the case of a partnership, of which the specified Person is a general partner.

 

Transactions” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Transfer” shall mean the  sale of, offer to sell, contract or agreement to sell, hypothecate, pledge, encumber, grant of any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agreement to dispose of, directly or indirectly (including through the transfer of the equity interests in any Person), or establishment or increase of a put equivalent position or liquidation with respect to or decrease of a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act with respect to, any security,  entry into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any security, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise, or  public announcement of any intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (a) or (b); and “Transferred” and “Transferee” shall each have a correlative meaning.

 

Unaffiliated Director” shall mean a director that is independent for purposes of the Audit Committee of the Board under the NYSE Rules, the Exchange Act and SOX.

 

voting securities” means one or more shares of capital stock the holder(s) of which are entitled to vote such shares generally in the election of the Company’s directors.

 

Warrants” means any warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock.

 

Section 1.2     Construction. The rules of construction set forth in this Section 1.2 shall apply to the interpretation of this Agreement. All references in this Agreement to Annexes, Articles, Sections, subsections, and other subdivisions of or to this Agreement refer to the corresponding Annexes, Articles, Sections, subsections, and other subdivisions of or to this Agreement unless expressly provided otherwise. Titles appearing at the beginning of any Articles, Sections, subsections, and other subdivisions of or to this Agreement are for convenience only, do not constitute any part of this Agreement, and shall be disregarded in construing the language hereof. The words “this Agreement,” “herein,” “hereby,” “hereunder,” and “hereof,” and words of similar import, refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section, subsection, or other subdivision of or to this Agreement unless expressly so limited. The words “this Article,” “this Section,” and “this subsection,” and words of similar import, refer only to the Article, Section or subsection hereof in which such words occur. Wherever the words “including” and “excluding” (in their various forms) are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limiting the foregoing in any respect.” Unless expressly provided to the contrary, if a word or phrase is defined, its other grammatical forms have a corresponding meaning. The words “shall” and “will” have the equal force and effect. Pronouns in masculine, feminine, or neuter genders shall be construed to state and include any other gender, and words, terms, and titles (including terms defined herein) in the singular form shall be construed to include the plural and vice versa, unless the context otherwise requires. Reference herein to any federal, state, local, or foreign Law shall be deemed to also refer to all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, unless the context requires otherwise, and reference herein to any agreement, instrument, or Law means such agreement, instrument, or Law as from time to time amended, modified, or supplemented, including, in the case of agreements or instruments, by waiver or consent and, in the case of Laws, by succession of comparable successor Laws.

 

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Article II
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

Each of the Parties hereby represents and warrants to each other Party to this Agreement that as of the date such Party executes this Agreement:

 

Section 2.1     Existence; Authority; Enforceability. Such Party has the power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to carry out its obligations hereunder. With respect to each Party that is an entity under applicable state law, such Party is duly organized and validly existing under the Laws of its respective jurisdiction of organization, and the execution of this Agreement, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein, have been authorized by all necessary action of such Party, and no other act or proceeding on its part is necessary to authorize the execution of this Agreement or the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated hereby. This Agreement has been duly executed by such Party and constitutes its legal, valid and binding obligations, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms.

 

Section 2.2     Absence of Conflicts. The execution and delivery by such Party of this Agreement and the performance of its obligations hereunder does not and will not (a) with respect to each Party that is an entity under applicable state law, conflict with, or result in the breach of any provision of the constitutive documents of such Party; (b) result in any violation, breach, conflict, default or event of default (or an event which with notice, lapse of time, or both, would constitute a default or event of default), or give rise to any right of acceleration or termination or any additional payment obligation, under the terms of any contract, agreement or permit to which such Party is a party or by which such Party’s assets or operations are bound or affected; or (c) violate any Law applicable to such Party.

 

Section 2.3     Consents. Other than any consents which have already been obtained, no consent, waiver, approval, authorization, exemption, registration, license or declaration is required to be made or obtained by such Party in connection with (a) the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement or (b) the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated herein.

 

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Article III
GOVERNANCE

 

Section 3.1     Board.

 

(a)     Composition of the Board. The Stockholders and the Company shall take all Necessary Action to cause the Board to be comprised at the Closing of seven directors, (A) four of whom were initially designated by the Principal Stockholder Group before the mailing of the Proxy Statement and thereafter shall be designated pursuant to Section 3.1(b) of this Agreement (each, a “Designated Director”), and (B) three of whom shall be Unaffiliated Directors selected pursuant to the HPK Business Combination Agreement.

 

(b)     Principal Stockholder Group Representation. For so long as (i) the Principal Stockholder Group collectively beneficially owns not less than the percentage of the Original Shares shown below and (ii) the total number of Original Shares constitutes not less than the percentage of the then-outstanding total voting securities of the Company shown below, the Company shall, and the Stockholders shall take all Necessary Action to, include in the slate of nominees recommended by the Board for election as directors at each applicable annual or special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected that number of individuals designated by the Principal Stockholder Group that, if elected, will result in the Principal Stockholder Group having the number of directors serving on the Board that is shown below. Such nominees shall not be required to be an “independent director” under the NYSE Rules unless otherwise indicated.

 

Percent of Original Shares

Beneficially Owned

Percent of

Then-Outstanding

Company Voting Securities

Represented by Original

Shares

Number
of
Designated Directors

35% or greater

30% or greater

Up to 4 (one of whom must be an independent under the NYSE Rules if the Principal Stockholder Group beneficially owns 50% or less of the Company’s total outstanding voting securities)

25% to but not including 35%

25% or greater

Up to 3

15% to but not including 25%

15% or greater

Up to 2

5% to but not including 15%

7.5% or greater

1

Below 5%

 

0

 

6

 

 

(c)     At any time the members of the Board are allocated among separate classes of directors, (i) the Designated Directors shall be evenly distributed in different classes of directors to the extent practicable and (ii) after taking into account the immediately preceding clause (i), the Principal Stockholder Group shall be permitted to designate the class or classes to which each Designated Director shall be allocated.

 

(d)     Unaffiliated Directors. Following the closing of the Transactions, except as set forth in Section 3.1(b), the nomination of directors (including Unaffiliated Directors) at annual meetings will be the responsibility of the Nominating and Governance Committee, if then existing, and if no such Nominating and Governance Committee then exists, will be the responsibility of the Board.

 

(e)     Decrease in Designated Directors. Upon any decrease in the number of Designated Directors that the Principal Stockholder Group is entitled to designate for nomination to the Board, the Principal Stockholders shall take all Necessary Action to cause the appropriate number of Designated Directors to offer to tender their resignation, effective as of the Company’s next annual meeting. For the avoidance of doubt, any Designated Director resigning pursuant to this Section 3.1(e) shall be permitted to continue serving as a Designated Director until the Company’s next annual meeting; provided, however, that if the reason for the decrease in the number of Designated Directors that the Principal Stockholder Group is entitled to designate for nomination to the Board includes the fact that the Principal Stockholder Group has ceased to beneficially own more than fifty percent (50%) of the Company’s then-outstanding voting securities and none of the four (4) Designated Directors of the Principal Stockholder Group is independent under the NYSE Rules, then the Principal Stockholders shall take all Necessary Action to cause one (1) of the four (4) Designated Directors to resign immediately and the vacancy resulting from such resignation shall be filled by a person that is independent under the NYSE Rules and is designated by either the Principal Stockholder Group if it then still has the right to designate four (4) Designated Directors or by the Company’s Nominating and Governance Committee or the Board, as the case may be, in accordance with Section 3.1(d).

 

(f)     Removal; Vacancies. Except as provided in Section 3.1(e), and subject to the Company Charter,  the Principal Stockholder Group shall have the exclusive right to remove its Designated Directors from the Board (including any committees thereof), and the Company and the Principal Stockholders shall take all Necessary Action to cause the removal of any such designee at the request of the Principal Stockholder Group and subject to the limitations on the rights of the Principal Stockholder Group pursuant to Section 3.1(b) and the proviso in Section 3.1(e), the Principal Stockholder Group shall have the exclusive right to designate directors for election to the Board to fill vacancies created by reason of death, removal or resignation (including from any committees thereof) of a Designated Director, and the Company and the Principal Stockholders shall take all Necessary Action to cause any such vacancies to be filled by replacement directors designated by the Principal Stockholder Group as promptly as reasonably practicable. For the avoidance of doubt and notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this paragraph, the Principal Stockholder Group shall not have the right to designate a replacement director, and the Company and the Principal Stockholders shall not be required to take any action to cause any vacancy to be filled by any such designee, to the extent that election or appointment of such designee to the Board would result in a number of directors designated by the Principal Stockholder Group in excess of the number of Designated Directors that the Principal Stockholder Group is then entitled to designate for membership on the Board pursuant to this Agreement.

 

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(g)     Forced Resignation. Each Principal Stockholder shall take all Necessary Action to cause any of its Designated Directors to resign promptly from the Board if such Designated Director, as determined by the Board in good faith after consultation with outside legal counsel,  is prohibited or disqualified from serving as a director of the Company under any rule or regulation of the SEC, the NYSE, or by applicable Law,  has engaged in acts or omissions constituting a breach of the Designated Director’s fiduciary duties to the Company and its stockholders,  has engaged in acts or omissions that involve intentional misconduct or an intentional violation of Law,  has engaged in any transaction involving the Company from which the Designated Director derived an improper personal benefit that was not disclosed to the Board prior to the authorization of such transaction or is convicted of or pleaded nolo contendere to any felony involving dishonesty or moral turpitude; provided, however, that, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 3.1(a), 3.1(b) or 3.1(e), the Principal Stockholder Group shall have the right to replace such resigning Designated Director with a new Designated Director, such newly named Designated Director to be appointed promptly to the Board in place of the resigning Designated Director in the manner set forth in the Company’s governing documents for filling vacancies on the Board and in Section 3.1(f). Nothing in this paragraph (f) or elsewhere in this Agreement shall confer any third-party beneficiary or other rights upon any person designated hereunder as a Designated Director, whether during or after such person’s service on the Board.

 

(h)     Size of Board. The Company will take all Necessary Action to ensure that the number of directors serving on the Board shall not exceed seven directors; provided, that the number of directors may be increased if necessary to satisfy the requirements of applicable Laws or the NYSE Rules. In the event the size of the Board is increased or decreased at any time to other than seven directors, the Principal Stockholder Group’s designation rights under this Section 3.1 shall be proportionately increased or decreased, respectively, rounded up to the nearest whole number.

 

(i)     Committees. Subject to applicable Laws and the NYSE Rules, the Principal Stockholder Group shall have the right to have a representative appointed to serve on each committee of the Board (other than the Company’s audit committee) for which any such representative is eligible pursuant to applicable Laws and the NYSE Rules so long as the Principal Stockholder Group owns a number of shares of Common Stock equal to not less than (i) 20% of the Original Shares and (ii) 7.5% of the then-outstanding voting securities of the Company.

 

(j)     Expenses. The Company shall reimburse any Principal Stockholder for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a result of any Necessary Action required to be taken under the foregoing provisions of Section 3.1, provided that a Principal Stockholder requesting any such reimbursement shall include with such request supporting documentation therefor.

 

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Section 3.2     Voting Agreement. Each of the Company and the Stockholders agrees not to take any actions that would interfere with the intention of the Parties with respect to the composition of the Board as herein stated. Each Stockholder agrees to cast all votes to which such Stockholder is entitled in respect of its shares of Common Stock, whether at any annual or special meeting, by written consent or otherwise, so as to cause to be elected to the Board those individuals designated or nominated in accordance with this Article III and to otherwise effect the intent of this Article III. Each Stockholder agrees not to take action to remove each other’s or the director nominees of the Nominating and Governance Committee or the Board, as applicable, from office. Except as set forth in Section 3.1(b) or the proviso of Section 3.1(e), each Stockholder agrees to cast all votes to which such Stockholder is entitled in respect of its shares of Common Stock, whether at any annual or special meeting, by written consent or otherwise, so as to cause to be elected to the Board those individuals recommended by the Nominating and Governance Committee or the Board, as applicable (to the extent those individuals are recommended in a manner consistent with the terms hereof).

 

Section 3.3     Restrictions on Transferability.

 

(a)     Subject to any separate restrictions on Transfer applicable to any shares of Common Stock held by the Principal Stockholders, and other than as set forth in this Section 3.3, no Principal Stockholder may Transfer any or all of its shares of Common Stock for a period of 180 days following the Closing Date without the prior written consent of the Company.

 

(b)     Subject to any other agreement with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to which any Stockholder (or any of its Affiliates) may be bound (including the Registration Rights Agreement), and notwithstanding the restrictions set forth in Section 3.3(a), each Principal Stockholder shall be permitted to Transfer shares of Common Stock (i) at any time after 180 days following the Closing Date to a Permitted Transferee of such Principal Stockholder following notice of such transfer to the Company (if in connection with any such Transfer to a Permitted Transferee such Permitted Transferee agrees to become a party to this Agreement by executing and delivering such documents as may be necessary to make such Transferee a party hereto, then such Transferee will be treated as a Principal Stockholder, with the same rights and obligations as its Transferring Stockholder) for all purposes of this Agreement, and (ii) to the Company or its Subsidiaries.

 

(c)     Any attempted transaction in violation of this Section 3.3 shall be null and void ab initio.

 

Section 3.4     Sharing of Information. Each Stockholder recognizes that it, or its Affiliates and Representatives, has acquired or will acquire confidential, non-public information (“Confidential Information”) about the Company and its Subsidiaries the use or disclosure of which could cause the Company substantial loss and damages that could not be readily calculated and for which no remedy at law would be adequate. Accordingly, each Stockholder covenants and agrees with the Company that it will not (and will cause its respective Affiliates and Representatives not to) at any time, except with the prior written consent of the Company, directly or indirectly, disclose any Confidential Information known to it, unless  such information becomes known to the public through no fault of such Stockholder,  disclosure is required by applicable Law or court of competent jurisdiction or requested by a Governmental Entity, provided that such Stockholder promptly notifies the Company of such disclosure and takes reasonable steps to minimize the extent of any such required disclosure,  such information does not relate to the assets, business or liabilities that were contributed or sold to the Company at the Closing and was available or becomes available to such Stockholder before, on or after the date hereof, without restriction, from a source (other than the Company) without any breach of duty to the Company or  such information was independently developed by the Stockholder or its representatives without the use of the Confidential Information. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, to the extent permitted by antitrust, competition or any other applicable Law, nothing in this Agreement shall prohibit a Stockholder from disclosing Confidential Information to any Affiliate, Representative, limited partner, member or shareholder of such Stockholder; provided, that such Stockholder shall be responsible for any breach of this Section 3.4 by any such person.

 

9

 

 

Section 3.5     Reimbursement of Expenses. The Company shall reimburse the Company’s directors (including Designated Directors) for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with their attendance at meetings of the Board and any committees thereof, including travel, lodging and meal expenses.

 

Section 3.6     Indemnity Agreements. Simultaneously with any person becoming a Designated Director, the Company shall execute and deliver to each such Designated Director an Indemnity Agreement dated the date such Designated Director becomes a director of the Company.

 

Article IV
GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

Section 4.1     Assignment; Benefit. The rights and obligations hereunder shall not be assignable without the prior written consent of the other Parties except as provided in Section 3.3. Any such assignee (other than a Permitted Transferee with respect to an assignment by such Permitted Transferee in accordance with Section 3.3(b)) may not again assign those rights, other than in accordance with this Article IV. Any attempted assignment of rights or obligations in violation of this Article IV shall be null and void. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the Parties, and their respective successors and permitted assigns, and there shall be no third-party beneficiaries to this Agreement other than the Designated Directors under Section 3.6.

 

Section 4.2     Freedom to Pursue Opportunities. Subject to any other agreement with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to which any Stockholder (or any of its Affiliates) or any Designated Director may be bound, the Parties expressly acknowledge and agree that: (i) each Stockholder and Designated Director (and each Affiliate thereof) has the right to, and shall have no duty (contractual or otherwise) not to, (x) directly or indirectly engage in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, including those deemed to be competing with the Company or any of their Subsidiaries, or (y) directly or indirectly do business with any client or customer of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; and (ii) in the event that a Stockholder or Designated Director (or any Affiliate thereof) acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or matter that may be a corporate opportunity for the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and such Stockholder or any other Person, neither such Stockholder nor such Designated Director (and any such Affiliate) shall have any duty (contractual or otherwise) to communicate or present such corporate opportunity to the Company or any of their Subsidiaries, as the case may be, and, notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, shall not be liable to the Company, its Subsidiaries or their respective Affiliates or Stockholders for breach of any duty (contractual or otherwise) by reason of the fact that such Stockholder or Designated Director (or such Affiliate thereof), directly or indirectly, pursues or acquires such opportunity for itself, directs such opportunity to another Person, or does not present such opportunity to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

10

 

 

Section 4.3     Termination. This Agreement shall terminate automatically (without any action by any Party) (i) as to each Stockholder at such time as the Principal Stockholder Group no longer has the right to designate an individual for nomination to the Board under this Agreement and (ii) as to any individual Stockholder at such time as such Stockholder ceases to own any of the Original Shares; provided, that the provisions in Section 3.3 and this Article IV shall survive any such termination.

 

Section 4.4     Severability. If any term or other provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal, or incapable of being enforced by any rule of Law or public policy, all other conditions and provisions of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect so long as the economic or legal substance of the transactions contemplated hereby is not affected in any adverse manner to any Party. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal, or incapable of being enforced, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the Parties as closely as possible in an acceptable manner to the end that the transactions contemplated hereby are fulfilled to the extent possible.

 

Section 4.5     Entire Agreement; Amendment.

 

(a)     This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding and agreement between the Parties with respect to the transactions contemplated herein and supersedes and replaces any prior understanding, agreement or statement of intent, in each case written or oral, of any kind and every nature with respect hereto. No provision of this Agreement may be amended, modified or waived in whole or in part at any time without the express written consent of the Company and the Stockholders. Except as set forth above, there are no other agreements with respect to the governance of the Company between any Stockholders or any of their Affiliates.

 

(b)     No waiver of any breach of any of the terms of this Agreement shall be effective unless such waiver is expressly made in writing and executed and delivered by the party against whom such waiver is claimed. The waiver by any Party of a breach of any provision of this Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a further or continuing waiver of such breach or as a waiver of any other or subsequent breach. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, no failure on the part of any Party to exercise, and no delay in exercising, any right, power or remedy hereunder, or otherwise available in respect hereof at law or in equity, shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of such right, power or remedy by such Party preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or remedy.

 

Section 4.6     Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, and each such counterpart hereof shall be deemed to be an original instrument, but all of such counterparts shall constitute for all purposes one agreement. Any signature hereto delivered by a Party by facsimile or other electronic transmission shall be deemed an original signature hereto. No Party shall be bound until such time as all of the Parties have executed counterparts of this Agreement.

 

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Section 4.7     Notices. All notices and communications required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be in writing and shall be delivered personally, or sent by overnight courier or mailed by certified or registered United States Mail with all postage fully prepaid, or sent by electronic mail (“email”) transmission (provided that a receipt of such email is requested by the notifying party and affirmatively acknowledged by the receiving party), addressed to the appropriate Party at the address for such Party shown below or at such other address as such Party shall have theretofore designated by written notice delivered to the Party giving such notice:

 

if to any Principal Stockholder, to:

 

HighPeak Energy

421 W. 3rd Street, Suite 1000
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Attention: [●]
Email: [●]

 

with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Vinson & Elkins LLP
1001 Fannin Street, Suite 2500
Houston, Texas 77002
Attention: Sarah K. Morgan
Email: smorgan@velaw.com

 

if to the Company to:

 

HighPeak Energy, Inc.

421 W. 3rd Street, Suite 1000
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Attention: [●]
Email: [●]

 

with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
600 Travis Street, Suite 4200
Houston, Texas 77002
Attention: G. Michael O’Leary
Email: moleary@HuntonAK.com

 

Section 4.8     Governing Law. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY RELATED DISPUTE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

 

Section 4.9     Jurisdiction. ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING AGAINST THE PARTIES RELATING IN ANY WAY TO THIS AGREEMENT MAY BE BROUGHT EXCLUSIVELY IN THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE OR (TO THE EXTENT SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION EXISTS THEREFORE) THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE, AND THE PARTIES IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO THE JURISDICTION OF BOTH SUCH COURTS IN RESPECT OF ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING. ANY ACTIONS OR PROCEEDINGS TO ENFORCE A JUDGMENT ISSUED BY ONE OF THE FOREGOING COURTS MAY BE ENFORCED IN ANY JURISDICTION.

 

12

 

 

Section 4.10     Waiver of Jury Trial. TO THE EXTENT NOT PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW THAT CANNOT BE WAIVED, EACH STOCKHOLDER WAIVES, AND COVENANTS THAT SUCH PARTY WILL NOT ASSERT (WHETHER AS PLAINTIFF, DEFENDANT OR OTHERWISE), ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY FORUM IN RESPECT OF ANY ISSUE, CLAIM OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR THE SUBJECT MATTER HEREOF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THE DEALINGS OF ANY STOCKHOLDER OR THE COMPANY IN CONNECTION WITH ANY OF THE ABOVE, IN EACH CASE WHETHER NOW EXISTING OR HEREAFTER ARISING AND WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE. The Company or any Stockholder may file an original counterpart or a copy of this Section 4.10 with any court as written evidence of the consent of the Stockholders to the waiver of their rights to trial by jury.

 

Section 4.11     Specific Performance. Each Party hereby acknowledges and agrees that the rights of each Party to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby are special, unique, and of extraordinary character and that, if any Party violates or fails or refuses to perform any covenant or agreement made by it herein, the non-breaching Party may be without an adequate remedy at Law. If any Party violates or fails or refuses to perform any covenant or agreement made by such Party herein to be performed, the non-breaching Party, subject to the terms hereof and in addition to any remedy at Law for damages or other relief permitted under this Agreement, may institute and prosecute an action in any court of competent jurisdiction to enforce specific performance of such covenant or agreement or seek any other equitable relief, without the necessity of proving actual damages or posting of a bond.

 

Section 4.12     Subsequent Acquisition of Shares. Any Common Stock of the Company acquired subsequent to the date hereof by a Stockholder shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

 

[Signature Pages Follow]

 

13

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have duly executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.

 

 

HIGHPEAK ENERGY, INC.

     
     
 

By:

 
 

Name:

 
 

Title:

 
     
     
 

Principal Stockholders:

     
     
 

HIGHPEAK PURE ACQUISITION, LLC

     
     
 

By:

 
 

Name:

 
 

Title:

 
     
     
 

By: HighPeak Energy Partners GP, LLC

 

Its: General Partner

     
     
 

By:

 
 

Name:

 
 

Title:

 
     
     
 

HighPeak Energy Partners, LP

     
     
 

By: HighPeak Energy Partners GP, LLC

 

Its: General Partner

     
     
 

By:

 
 

Name:

 
 

Title:

 
     

 

Signature Page to Stockholders’ Agreement

 

 

 

 

     
 

HighPeak Energy Partners II, LP

     
     
 

By: HighPeak Energy Partners GP II, LLC

 

Its: General Partner

     
     
 

By:

 
 

Name:

 
 

Title:

 
     
 

HighPeak Energy Partners III, LP

     
     
 

By: HighPeak Energy Partners GP III, LLC

 

Its: General Partner

     
     
 

By:

 
 

Name:

 
 

Title:

 
     
  HIGHPEAK WARRANT, LLC
     
     
  By:  
  Name:  
  Title:  
     
 

By:

 
 

Name:

Jack Hightower

     

 

Signature Page to Stockholders’ Agreement

 

 

 
 

 

Exhibit B
Form of Registration Rights Agreement

 

 

 

 

THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is dated as of [________], [____] (the “Effective Date”), by and among HighPeak Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and each of the persons listed under the heading “Holders” on the signature pages attached hereto (the “Holders,” and each individually, a “Holder”).

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, the Company has entered into a Business Combination Agreement, dated November 27, 2019 (as amended or supplemented to date, the “HPK Business Combination Agreement”), by and among the Company, Pure Acquisition Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“MergerSub”), Pure Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Pure”), on the one part, and HighPeak Energy, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HighPeak I”), HighPeak Energy II, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HighPeak II”), HighPeak Energy III, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HighPeak III”), and HPK Energy, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“HPK GP” and, together with HighPeak I, HighPeak II and HighPeak III, the “Contributors”) and HighPeak Energy Management, LLC, solely for limited purposes specified therein, on the other part, pursuant to which (i) MergerSub will merge with and into Pure, with Pure surviving, (ii) the Company will exchange, on a one-for-one basis, all outstanding shares of Class A common stock of Pure and Pure Founder Shares (as defined herein) for newly issued shares of Common Stock (as defined herein) of the Company and will be assigned Pure’s rights and obligations under the Warrant Agreement, dated April 12, 2018, between Pure and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and (iii) the Contributors will contribute HPK Energy, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HPK”), to the Company on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein (the “HPK Business Combination”);

 

WHEREAS, HighPeak Energy Assets II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of HPK (“HighPeak Assets II”), has or will acquire certain oil and gas assets from Grenadier Energy Partners II, LLC (“Grenadier”) on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Contribution Agreement, dated as of November 27, 2019, among Grenadier, HighPeak Assets II, the Company and Pure (as amended or supplemented to date, the “Grenadier Contribution Agreement” and, together with the HPK Business Combination Agreement, the “Business Combination Agreements”), by and between HighPeak Assets II, as buyer, and Grenadier, as contributor (the “Grenadier Purchase” and, together with the HPK Business Combination, the “Transactions”); and

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 3.4 of the HPK Business Combination Agreement and Sections 10.7 and 10.8 of the Grenadier Contribution Agreement, this Agreement is required to be executed and delivered at the closing of the Transactions.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing, the mutual covenants and agreements hereinafter set forth, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

 

Section 1.     DEFINITIONS

 

As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

 

 

 

 

Affiliate” shall mean, with respect to any person, any other person that, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by, or is under common control with, another person. The term “control” and its derivatives with respect to any person mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.

 

Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Block Trade” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.

 

Block Trade Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.

 

Block Trade Offer Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.

 

Business Combination Agreements” has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Business Day” is any Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday other than a day on which banks and other financial institutions are authorized or required to be closed for business in the State of New York.

 

Common Stock” means the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share.

 

Company” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Contributors” has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Demanding Holder” or “Demanding Holders” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1.

 

Demand Registration Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1.

 

Demand Registration Statement” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1.

 

$” means United States dollars.

 

Effective Date” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

FINRA” means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

 

Forward Purchase Warrants” shall mean the 5,000,000 warrants exercisable for Common Stock to be issued pursuant to the Forward Purchase Agreement Amendment.

 

General Disclosure Package” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1(a).

 

Grenadier” has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Grenadier Contribution Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Grenadier Holders” means Grenadier or any Permitted Transferee or assignee thereof pursuant to Section 12.6.

 

Grenadier Purchase” has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Grenadier Warrants” means the warrants entitling the holder thereof to purchase from the Company Common Stock at a price of $11.50 that are issued to Grenadier or any Person designated by Grenadier that receives Warrants in connection with the closing contemplated under the Grenadier Contribution Agreement.

 

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HighPeak I” has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

HighPeak II” has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

HighPeak III” has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

HighPeak Assets II” has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Holder” or “Holders” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

HPK” has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

HPK Business Combination” has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

HPK Business Combination Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

HPK GP” has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Indemnified Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.3.

 

Indemnifying Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.3.

 

Initiating Holder” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2.

 

Lock-Up Agreement” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.5.

 

MergerSub” has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Offer Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1.

 

Opt-Out Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.2.

 

Permitted Transferee” of a Holder shall mean (a) any person in which the Holder owns a majority of the equity interests or any other investment entity that is controlled, advised or managed by the same person or persons that control the Holder or is an Affiliate of such person or (b) any of the partners, shareholders or members of such Holder or any trust, family partnership or family limited liability company, the sole beneficiaries, partners or members of which are such Holder or relatives of such Holder.

 

Piggyback Registration Statement” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.

 

Private Placement Warrants” shall mean the warrants issued to Pure’s Sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of Pure’s initial public offering, which became warrants to purchase Common Stock pursuant to the HPK Business Combination.

 

Pure” has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Pure Founder Shares” shall mean shares of Class B Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Pure.

 

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 “Pure’s Sponsor” shall mean HighPeak Pure Acquisition, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.

 

Registrable Securities” shall mean, with respect to any Holder, the Securities held by such Holder in the Company or any successor to the Company, excluding any such Securities that (i) have been disposed of pursuant to any offering or sale in accordance with a Registration Statement, or have been sold pursuant to Rule 144 or Rule 145 (or any successor provisions) under the Securities Act or in any other transaction in which the purchaser does not receive “restricted securities” (as that term is defined for purposes of Rule 144), (ii) have been transferred to a transferee that has not agreed in writing and for the benefit of the Company to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Agreement, or (iii) have ceased to be of a class of securities of the Company that is listed and traded on a recognized national securities exchange or automated quotation system.

 

Registration Expenses” shall mean all expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing and distribution of any Registration Statement and Prospectus and all amendments and supplements thereto, and any and all expenses incident to the performance by the Company of its registration obligations pursuant to this Agreement, including: (i) all registration, qualification and filing fees; (ii) all fees and expenses associated with a required listing of the Registrable Securities on any securities exchange or market; (iii) fees and expenses with respect to filings required to be made with the New York Stock Exchange (or such other securities exchange or market on which the Shares are then listed or quoted) or FINRA; (iv) fees and expenses of compliance with securities or “blue sky” laws; (v) fees and expenses related to registration in any non-U.S. jurisdictions, as applicable; (vi) fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and fees and expenses for independent certified public accountants retained by the Company (including the expenses of any comfort letters, costs associated with the delivery by independent certified public accountants of a comfort letter or comfort letters, and expenses of any special audits incident to or required by any such registration); (vii) all internal expenses of the Company (including all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties); (viii) the fees and expenses of any person, including special experts, retained by the Company in connection with the preparation of any Registration Statement; (ix) printer, messenger, telephone and delivery expenses; (x) the reasonable fees and disbursements of one special legal counsel to represent all of the Grenadier Holders participating in any such registration and (y) the reasonable fees and disbursements of one special legal counsel to represent all of the other Holders participating in any such registration.

 

Registration Statement” and “Prospectus” refer, as applicable, to the Demand Registration Statement and related prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus) or the Piggyback Registration Statement and related prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus), whichever is utilized by the Company to satisfy Holders’ registration rights pursuant to this Agreement, including, in each case, any documents incorporated therein by reference.

 

Rule 144” shall mean Rule 144 of the rules and regulations promulgated under the Securities Act.

 

Rule 145” shall mean Rule 145 of the rules and regulations promulgated under the Securities Act.

  

S-3 Registration” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2(b).

 

SEC” shall mean the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Securities” shall mean, collectively the Shares, the Forward Purchase Warrants, the Private Placement Warrants and the Grenadier Warrants held by any Holder, including any securities issued or issuable with respect to such Securities by way of distribution or in connection with any reorganization or other recapitalization, merger, consolidation or otherwise.

 

Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder.

 

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Securities Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder.

 

Shares” means shares of the Company’s Common Stock (including Shares acquired on or after the Effective Date or issuable upon the exercise, conversion, exchange or redemption of any other security therefor).

 

Shelf Registration” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2(a).

 

Suspension Event” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.1.

 

Takedown Holder” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2(c).

 

Takedown Offer Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2(d).

 

Takedown Request Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2(d).

 

Transactions” has the meaning set forth in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Transfer” shall mean the sale of, offer to sell, contract or agreement to sell, hypothecate, pledge, encumber, grant of any potion to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agreement to dispose of, directly or indirectly (including through the transfer of the equity interests in any Person), or establishment or increase of a put equivalent position or liquidation with respect to or decrease of a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act with respect to, any security, entry into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any security, whether any such transfer is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise, or public announcement of any intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (a) or (b); and “Transferred” and “Transferee” shall each have a correlative meaning.

 

Underwritten Shelf Takedown” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2(c).

 

Section 2.     DEMAND REGISTRATION RIGHTS

 

2.1     Demand Rights.

 

(a)     At any time, and from time to time, (i) after the Effective Date, any Grenadier Holder and (ii) from and after ninety (90) calendar days after the Effective Date, any Holder, including any Grenadier Holder, (each, respectively, a “Demanding Holder”) may deliver to the Company a written notice (a “Demand Registration Notice”) informing the Company of its desire to have some or all of its Registrable Securities registered for sale; provided that such Demand Registration Notice covers (x) not less than $50 million of Registrable Securities, as determined by reference to the volume weighted average price for such Registrable Securities on the New York Stock Exchange (or such other securities exchange or market on which the Shares are then listed or quoted) for the five trading days immediately preceding the applicable determination date or (y) all Registrable Securities held by such Demanding Holder. Upon receipt of the Demand Registration Notice, if the Company has not already caused the Registrable Securities to be registered on a Shelf Registration that the Company then has on file with, and has been declared effective by, the SEC and which remains in effect and not subject to any stop order, injunction or other order or requirement of the SEC (in which event the Company shall be deemed to have satisfied its registration obligation under this Section 2.1), then the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to cause to be filed with the SEC as soon as reasonably practicable after receiving the Demand Registration Notice, but in no event more than forty-five (45) calendar days (or thirty (30) calendar days in the case of an S-3 Registration pursuant to Section 2.2(b)) following receipt of such notice, a registration statement and related prospectus that complies as to form and substance in all material respects with applicable SEC rules providing for the sale by such Demanding Holder or group of Demanding Holders, and any other Holders that elect to register their Registrable Securities as provided below, of all of the Registrable Securities requested to be registered by such Holders (the “Demand Registration Statement”), and agrees (subject to Sections 5.1 and 6.2 hereof) to use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Demand Registration Statement to be declared effective by the SEC, with respect to the first such Demand Registration Statement, as soon as reasonably practical from the Effective Date, and with respect to subsequent Demand Registration Statements, upon, or as soon as practicable following, the filing thereof. The Company shall give written notice of the proposed filing of the Demand Registration Statement to all Holders holding Registrable Securities as soon as practicable (but in no event less than five (5) calendar days before the anticipated filing date), and such notice shall offer such Holders the opportunity to participate in such Demand Registration Statement (the “Offer Notice”) and to register such number of Registrable Securities as each such Holder may request. Holders who wish to include their Registrable Securities in the Demand Registration Statement must notify the Company in writing within three (3) calendar days of receiving the Offer Notice and include in such written notice the information requested by the Company in the Offer Notice. Subject to Section 5.1 hereof, the Company agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to keep the Demand Registration Statement continuously effective (including the preparation and filing of any amendments and supplements necessary for that purpose) until the earlier of  the date on which all of the Securities held by the Holders that are registered for resale under the Demand Registration Statement are no longer Registrable Securities, and the date on which the Holders consummate the sale of all of the Registrable Securities registered for resale under the Demand Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company is not obligated to take any action upon receipt of a Demand Registration Notice delivered within ninety (90) days of a prior Demand Registration Notice.

 

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(b)     If a Demanding Holder intends to distribute the Registrable Securities covered by the Demand Registration Notice by means of an underwritten offering, it shall so advise the Company as a part of the Demand Registration Notice. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 2.1, if the underwriter advises the Company that in the opinion of such underwriter, the distribution of all of the Registrable Securities requested to be registered would materially and adversely affect the distribution of all of the securities to be underwritten, then  the Company shall deliver to the registering Holders a copy of such underwriter’s opinion, which opinion shall be in writing and shall state the reasons for such opinion, and  the number of Registrable Securities that may be included in such registration shall be allocated  first, to the Grenadier Holders electing to register their Registrable Securities , on a pro rata basis based on the relative number of Registrable Securities then held by each such Holder; provided that any such amount thereby allocated to each such Holder that exceeds such Holder’s request shall be reallocated among the other Grenadier Holders in like manner, as applicable; second to the other Holders electing to register their Registrable Securities , on a pro rata basis based on the relative number of Registrable Securities then held by each such Holder; provided that any such amount thereby allocated to each such Holder that exceeds such Holder’s request shall be reallocated among the other Holders in like manner, as applicable; and  second, to the other persons proposing to register securities in such registration, if any; provided, however, that the number of Registrable Securities to be included in such underwriting shall not be reduced unless all other securities are entirely excluded from such underwriting. Any Registrable Securities excluded or withdrawn from such underwritten offering shall be withdrawn from the registration.

 

2.2     Shelf Registration.

 

(a)     A Demanding Holder shall be permitted to request that any registration under this Section 2 be made on a form of registration permitting the offer and sale of Registrable Securities under Rule 415 under the Securities Act (such registration, a “Shelf Registration”). The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to effect such Shelf Registration and to keep it continuously effective until such date on which the Shares covered by such Shelf Registration are no longer Registrable Securities. During the period that the Shelf Registration is effective, the Company shall supplement or make amendments to the Shelf Registration, if required by the Securities Act or if reasonably requested by a Demanding Holder or an underwriter of Registrable Securities to be sold pursuant thereto, including to reflect any specific plan of distribution or method of sale, and shall use its reasonable best efforts to have such supplements and amendments declared effective, if required, as soon as practicable after filing.

 

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(b)     With respect to a Demand Registration Notice to be delivered at any time after the first date on which the Company is eligible to file a registration statement filed under the Securities Act on Form S-3 or such similar or successor form as may be appropriate (an “S-3 Registration”), a Demanding Holder may include in the Demand Registration Notice a request that the Company effect an S-3 Registration. In such event, the Company shall be required to effect an S-3 Registration in accordance with the terms hereof, unless at the time of the request Form S-3 or such similar or successor form is not available to the Company for such offering.

 

(c)     At any time and from time to time after the effectiveness of a Shelf Registration or S-3 Registration, any Holder with Registrable Securities included on such Shelf Registration or S-3 Registration (a “Takedown Holder”) may request to sell all or any portion of its Registrable Securities included thereon in an underwritten offering that is registered pursuant to such Shelf Registration or S-3 Registration (an “Underwritten Shelf Takedown”); provided that in the case of an Underwritten Shelf Takedown such Takedown Holder(s) will be entitled to make such request only if (i) the total offering price of the Securities to be sold in such offering (before deduction of underwriting discounts) is reasonably expected to exceed, in the aggregate, $50 million, or (ii) such request is for all of the Shares held by Takedown Holder(s) as of the date of such request. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company is not obligated to effect an Underwritten Shelf Takedown within ninety (90) days after the closing of an Underwritten Shelf Takedown.

 

(d)     Any requests for an Underwritten Shelf Takedown shall be made by giving written notice to the Company (a “Takedown Request Notice”). The Takedown Request Notice shall specify the approximate number of Registrable Securities to be sold in the Underwritten Shelf Takedown. Within five (5) days after receipt of any Takedown Request Notice, the Company shall give written notice of the requested Underwritten Shelf Takedown (the “Takedown Offer Notice”) to all other Holders and, subject to the provisions of Section 2.2(e) hereof, shall include in the Underwritten Shelf Takedown all Registrable Securities with respect to which the Company has received written requests for inclusion therein within three (3) days after sending the Takedown Offer Notice.

 

(e)     Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 2.2, if the underwriter advises the Company that in the opinion of such underwriter, the distribution of all of the Registrable Securities requested to be sold in an Underwritten Shelf Takedown would materially and adversely affect the distribution of all of the securities to be underwritten, then  the Company shall deliver to the participating Holders a copy of such underwriter’s opinion, which opinion shall be in writing and shall state the reasons for such opinion, and  the number of Registrable Securities that may be included in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown shall be allocated  first, to the Grenadier Holders electing to register their Registrable Securities, on a pro rata basis based on the relative number of Registrable Securities then held by each such Holder; provided that any such amount thereby allocated to each such Holder that exceeds such Holder’s request shall be reallocated among the other Grenadier Holders in like manner, as applicable; second, to the other Holders electing to sell their Registrable Securities, on a pro rata basis based on the relative number of Registrable Securities then held by each such Holder; provided that any such amount thereby allocated to each such Holder that exceeds such Holder’s request shall be reallocated among the other Holders in like manner, as applicable; and  second, to the other persons proposing to sell securities in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown, if any; provided, however, that the number of Registrable Securities to be included in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown shall not be reduced unless all other securities are entirely excluded from such Underwritten Shelf Takedown.

 

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2.3     Selection of Underwriter. A Demanding Holder or Takedown Holder shall have the right to select the underwriter or underwriters to administer any underwritten demand registration offering or Underwritten Shelf Takedown under a Demand Registration Statement, including any Shelf Registration or S-3 Registration; provided that such underwriter or underwriters shall be reasonably acceptable to the Company.

 

2.4     Block Trades. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section 2, in the event of a sale of Registrable Securities in an underwritten transaction requiring the involvement of the Company but not involving  any “road show” or  a lock-up agreement of more than sixty (60) days to which the Company is a party, and which is commonly known as a “block trade” (a “Block Trade”),  the Demanding Holder or Takedown Holder, as applicable, shall  give at least five (5) Business Days prior notice in writing (the “Block Trade Notice”) of such transaction to the Company and  identify the potential underwriter(s) in such notice with contact information for such underwriter(s); and  the Company shall cooperate with such requesting Holder or Holders to the extent it is reasonably able to effect such Block Trade. The Company shall give written notice (the “Block Trade Offer Notice”) of the proposed Block Trade to all Holders holding Registrable Securities as soon as practicable (but in no event more than two (2) Business Days following the Company’s receipt of the Block Trade Notice), and such notice shall offer such Holders the opportunity to participate in such Block Trade by providing written notice of intent to so participate within two (2) Business Days following receipt of the Block Trade Offer Notice; provided that the Grenadier Holders shall have priority over the other Holders in participating in such Block Trade. Any Block Trade shall be for at least $50 million in expected gross proceeds or for all Registrable Securities held by such Demanding Holder or Takedown Holder, as applicable. The Company shall not be required to effectuate more than two (2) Block Trades in any 90-day period. For the avoidance of doubt, a Block Trade shall not constitute an Underwritten Shelf Takedown. The Holders of at least a majority of the Registrable Securities being sold in any Block Trade shall select the underwriter(s) to administer such Block Trade; provided that such underwriter(s) shall be reasonably acceptable to the Company.

 

Section 3.     INCIDENTAL OR “PIGGY-BACK” REGISTRATION.

 

3.1     Piggy-Back Rights. If the Company proposes to file a Registration Statement under the Securities Act with respect to an offering of its Shares, whether to be sold by the Company or by one or more selling security holders, other than  a Demand Registration Statement (in which case the ability of a Holder to participate in such Demand Registration Statement shall be governed by Section 2) or  a registration statement  on Form S-8 or any successor form to Form S-8 or in connection with any employee or director welfare, benefit or compensation plan,  in connection with an exchange offer or an offering of securities exclusively to existing security holders of the Company or its subsidiaries or  relating to a transaction pursuant to Rule 145 under the Securities Act, the Company shall give written notice of the proposed registration to all Holders holding Registrable Securities at least five (5) calendar days prior to the filing of the Registration Statement. Each Holder holding Registrable Securities shall have the right to request that all or any part of its Registrable Securities be included in the Registration Statement by giving written notice to the Company within three (3) calendar days after receipt of the foregoing notice by the Company. Subject to the provisions of Sections 3.2, 3.3 and 6.2 the Company will include all such Registrable Securities requested to be included by the Holders in the Piggyback Registration Statement. For purposes of this Agreement, any registration statement of the Company in which Registrable Securities are included pursuant to this Section 3 shall be referred to as a “Piggyback Registration Statement.

 

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3.2     Withdrawal of Exercise of Rights. If, at any time after giving written notice of its intention to register any securities and prior to the effective date of the Piggyback Registration Statement filed in connection with such registration, the Company or any other holder of securities that initiated such registration (an “Initiating Holder”) shall determine for any reason not to proceed with the proposed registration, the Company may at its election (or the election of such Initiating Holder(s), as applicable) give written notice of such determination to the Holders and thereupon shall be relieved of its obligation to register any Registrable Securities in connection with such registration (but not from its obligation to pay the Registration Expenses incurred in connection therewith).

 

3.3     Underwritten Offering. If a registration pursuant to this Section 3 involves an underwritten offering and the managing underwriter advises the Company in writing that, in its opinion, the number of securities which the Company and the holders of the Registrable Securities and any other persons intend to include in such registration exceeds the largest number of securities that can be sold in such offering without having an adverse effect on such offering (including the price at which such securities can be sold), then the number of such securities to be included in such registration shall be reduced to such extent, and the Company will include in such registration such maximum number of securities as follows:  first, all of the securities the Company proposes to sell for its own account, if any; provided that the registration of such securities was initiated by the Company with respect to securities intended to be registered for sale for its own account; and  second, such number of Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration by the Holders which, in the opinion of such managing underwriter can be sold without having the adverse effect described above, which number of Registrable Securities shall be allocated pro rata among such Holders on the basis of the relative number of Registrable Securities then held by each such Holder; provided that any such amount thereby allocated to each such Holder that exceeds such Holder’s request shall be reallocated among the other Holders in like manner, as applicable.

 

3.4     Selection of Underwriter. Except to the extent Section 2.3 applies, Registrable Securities proposed to be registered and sold under this Section 3 pursuant to an underwritten offering for the account of the Holders holding Registrable Securities shall be sold to prospective underwriters selected by the Company, provided that such underwriter or underwriters shall be reasonably acceptable to the Holders participating in such offering, and on the terms and subject to the conditions of one or more underwriting agreements negotiated between the Company, the Holders participating in such offering and any other Holders demanding registration and the prospective underwriters.

 

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Section 4.     LIMITATIONS ON REGISTRATION RIGHTS

 

4.1     Limitations on Registration Rights. Each Holder, together with all Affiliates or Permitted Transferees of such Holder, shall be entitled, collectively, to continue to exercise the registration rights under Section 2 of this Agreement until such Holder (and its Affiliates and Permitted Transferees) no longer holds Registrable Securities representing at least $10 million, as determined by reference to the volume weighted average price for such Registrable Securities on the New York Stock Exchange (or such other securities exchange or market on which the Shares are then listed or quoted) for the five trading days immediately preceding the applicable determination date, and each such exercise of a registration right under this Agreement shall be with respect to a minimum of $5 million of the outstanding Registrable Securities of the Company (or all of the Registrable Securities of such Holder or Holders, if less than $5 million of the outstanding Registrable Securities of the Company are held by such Holder or Holders), as determined by reference to the volume weighted average price for such Registrable Securities on the New York Stock Exchange (or such other securities exchange or market on which the Shares are then listed or quoted) for the five trading days immediately preceding the applicable determination date.

 

4.2     Opt-Out Notices. Any Holder may deliver written notice (an “Opt-Out Notice”) to the Company requesting that such Holder not receive notice from the Company of the proposed filing of any Demand Registration Statement pursuant to Section 2.1, the proposed filing of any Piggyback Registration Statement pursuant to Section 3.1, the withdrawal of any Piggyback Registration Statement pursuant to Section 3.1 or any Suspension Event pursuant to Section 5.1; provided, however, that such Holder may later revoke any such Opt-Out Notice in writing. Following receipt of an Opt-Out Notice from a Holder (unless subsequently revoked),  the Company shall not deliver any such notice to such Holder pursuant to Section 2.1, 3.1, 3.2 or 5.1, as applicable, and such Holder shall no longer be entitled to the rights associated with any such notice and  each time prior to a Holder’s intended use of an effective Registration Statement, such Holder will notify the Company in writing at least two (2) Business Days in advance of such intended use, and if a notice of a Suspension Event was previously delivered (or would have been delivered but for the provisions of this Section 4.2 and the related suspension period remains in effect, the Company will so notify such Holder, within one (1) Business Day of such Holder’s notification to the Company, by delivering to such Holder a copy of such previous notice of Suspension Event, and thereafter will provide such Holder with the related notice of the conclusion of such Suspension Event immediately upon its availability.

 

Section 5.     SUSPENSION OF OFFERING

 

5.1     Suspension of Offering. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2 or 3, the Company shall be entitled to postpone the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and from time to time to require Holders not to sell under the Registration Statement or to suspend the effectiveness thereof, if the negotiation or consummation of a transaction by the Company or its subsidiaries is pending or an event has occurred, which negotiation, consummation or event the Company’s board of directors reasonably believes, upon the advice of legal counsel, would require additional disclosure by the Company in the Registration Statement of material information that the Company has a bona fide business purpose for keeping confidential and the non-disclosure of which in the Registration Statement would be expected, in the reasonable determination of the Company’s board of directors, upon the advice of legal counsel, to cause the Registration Statement to fail to comply with applicable disclosure requirements (each such circumstance, a “Suspension Event”); provided, however, that the Company may not delay or suspend the Registration Statement on more than two occasions or for more than sixty (60) consecutive calendar days, or more than ninety (90) total calendar days, in each case during any twelve-month period. Upon receipt of any written notice from the Company of the happening of any Suspension Event during the period that the Registration Statement is effective or if as a result of a Suspension Event the Registration Statement or related Prospectus contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made (in the case of the Prospectus) not misleading, each Holder agrees that  it will immediately discontinue offers and sales of the Registrable Securities under the Registration Statement until the Holder receives copies of a supplemental or amended Prospectus (which the Company agrees to promptly prepare) that corrects the misstatement(s) or omission(s) referred to above and receives notice that any post-effective amendment has become effective or unless otherwise notified by the Company that it may resume such offers and sales, and  it will maintain the confidentiality of any information included in such written notice delivered by the Company in accordance with Section 10.1 unless otherwise required by law or subpoena. If so directed by the Company, each Holder will deliver to the Company or, in each such Holder’s sole discretion destroy, all copies of the Prospectus covering the Registrable Securities in such Holder’s possession.

 

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Section 6.     REGISTRATION PROCEDURES

 

6.1     Obligations of the Company. When the Company is required to effect the registration of Registrable Securities under the Securities Act pursuant to this Agreement, the Company shall:

 

(a)     use commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the Registrable Securities by the time the applicable Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC under all applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions as any Holder may reasonably request in writing, to keep each such registration or qualification effective during the period such Registration Statement is required to be kept effective pursuant to this Agreement, and to do any and all other similar acts and things which may be reasonably necessary or advisable to enable the Holders to consummate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by the Holders in each such jurisdiction; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction or to register as a broker or dealer in such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this Agreement, (ii) take any action that would cause it to become subject to any taxation in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be subject to such taxation or (iii) take any action that would subject it to the general service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not then so subject;

 

(b)     prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and supplements as to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary (i) to keep such Registration Statement effective and (ii) to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of the Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement, in each case for such time as is contemplated in the applicable provisions above;

 

(c)     promptly furnish, without charge, to the Holders such number of copies of the Registration Statement, each amendment and supplement thereto (in each case including all exhibits), and the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement (including each preliminary Prospectus) in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act, the documents incorporated by reference in such Registration Statement or Prospectus, and such other documents as the Holders may reasonably request in order to facilitate the public sale or other disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by the Holders;

 

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(d)     promptly notify the Holders: (i) when the Registration Statement, any pre-effective amendment, the Prospectus or any prospectus supplement related thereto or post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed, and, with respect to the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, when the same has become effective, (ii) of the issuance by the SEC of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation or threat of any proceedings for that purpose, (iii) of any delisting or pending delisting of the Shares by any national securities exchange or market on which the Shares are then listed or quoted, and (iv) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of any Registrable Securities for sale under the securities or “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction or the initiation of any proceeding for such purpose;

 

(e)     use commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement, and, if any such order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement is issued, shall promptly use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order at the earliest possible moment;

 

(f)     until the expiration of the period during which the Company is required to maintain the effectiveness of the applicable Registration Statement as set forth in the applicable sections hereof, promptly notify the Holders: (i) of the existence of any fact of which the Company is aware or the happening of any event that has resulted, or could reasonably be expected to result, in (x) the Registration Statement, as is then in effect, containing an untrue statement of a material fact or omitting to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make any statements therein not misleading or (y) the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement containing an untrue statement of a material fact or omitting to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make any statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and (ii) of the Company’s reasonable determination that a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement would be appropriate or that there exist circumstances not yet disclosed to the public which make further sales under such Registration Statement inadvisable pending such disclosure and post-effective amendment;

 

(g)     if any event or occurrence giving rise to an obligation of the Company to notify the Holders pursuant to Section 6.1(f) takes place, subject to Section 5.1, the Company shall prepare and, to the extent the exemption from prospectus delivery requirements in Rule 172 under the Securities Act is not available, furnish to the Holders a reasonable number of copies of a supplement or post-effective amendment to such Registration Statement or related Prospectus or any document incorporated therein by reference or file any other required document, and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to have such supplement or amendment declared effective, if required, as soon as practicable following the filing thereof, so that  such Registration Statement shall not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and  as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of the Registrable Securities being sold thereunder, such Prospectus shall not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

 

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(h)     use commercially reasonable efforts to cause all such Registrable Securities to be listed or quoted on the national securities exchange or market on which the Shares are then listed or quoted, if the listing or quotation of such Registrable Securities is then permitted under the rules of such national securities exchange or market;

 

(i)     if requested by any Holder participating in an offering of Registrable Securities, as soon as practicable after such request, but in no event later than five (5) calendar days after such request, incorporate in a prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment such information concerning the Holder or the intended method of distribution as the Holder reasonably requests to be included therein and is reasonably necessary to permit the sale of the Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement, including information with respect to the number of Registrable Securities being sold, the purchase price being paid therefor and any other material terms of the offering of the Registrable Securities to be sold in such offering; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to include in any such prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment any requested information that is not required by the rules of the SEC and is unreasonable in scope compared with the Company’s most recent prospectus or prospectus supplement used in connection with a primary or secondary offering of equity securities by the Company;

 

(j)     in connection with the preparation and filing of any Registration Statement or any sale of Securities in connection therewith, the Company will give the Holders offering and selling thereunder and their respective counsels the opportunity to review and provide comments on such Registration Statement, each Prospectus included therein or filed with the SEC, and each amendment thereof or supplement thereto (other than amendments or supplements that do not make any material change in the information related to the Company) (provided that the Company shall not file any such Registration Statement including Registrable Securities or an amendment thereto or any related prospectus or any supplement thereto to which such Holders or the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, shall reasonably object in writing), and give each of them, together with any underwriter, broker, dealer or sales agent involved therewith,  such access to its books and records and such opportunities to discuss the business of the Company and its subsidiaries with its officers, its counsel and the independent public accountants who have certified its financial statements as shall be necessary, in the opinion of the Holder’s and such underwriters’ (or broker’s, dealer’s or sales agent’s, as the case may be) respective counsel, to conduct a reasonable due diligence investigation within the meaning of the Securities Act;

 

(k)     provide a transfer agent and registrar, which may be a single entity, and a CUSIP number for the Registrable Securities not later than the effective date of the first Registration Statement filed hereunder;

 

(l)     cooperate with the Holders who hold Registrable Securities being offered to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates for the Registrable Securities to be offered pursuant to the applicable Registration Statement and enable such certificates for the Registrable Securities to be in such denominations or amounts as the case may be, as the Holders may reasonably request, and, within two (2) Business Days after a Registration Statement which includes Registrable Securities is ordered effective by the SEC, the Company shall deliver, or shall cause legal counsel selected by the Company to deliver, to the transfer agent for the Registrable Securities (with copies to the Holders whose Registrable Securities are included in such Registration Statement) an appropriate instruction and opinion of such counsel;

 

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(m)     enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company, the Holders and the managing underwriter or underwriters of the public offering of Registrable Securities, if the offering is to be underwritten, in whole or in part; provided that the Holders may, at their option, require that any or all of the conditions precedent to the obligations of such underwriters under such underwriting agreement be conditions precedent to the obligations of the Holders. The Holders shall not be required to make any representations or warranties to or agreement with the Company or the underwriters other than representations, warranties or agreements regarding the Holders and their intended method of distribution and any other representation or warranty required by law. The Company shall cooperate and participate in the marketing of Registrable Securities, including participating in customary “roadshow” presentations, as the Holders and/or the managing underwriters may reasonably request; provided that the Company shall not be required to participate in any such presentation in connection with an offering of Registrable Securities for anticipated aggregate gross proceeds of less than $50 million; provided further that the Company and members of its management team will participate in customary investor conference calls related to a contemplated public offering of Registrable Securities (including any Block Trade) reasonably requested by the Holders and/or the managing underwriter without regard to the anticipated aggregate gross proceeds of such contemplated offering;

 

(n)     furnish, at the request of a Holder on the date that any Registrable Securities are to be delivered to the underwriters for sale in connection with a registration pursuant to this Agreement, if such Shares are being sold through underwriters, or, if such Shares are not being sold through underwriters, on the date that the Registration Statement with respect to such Shares becomes effective, (i) an opinion, dated such date, of the counsel representing the Company for the purposes of such registration, in form and substance as is customarily given to underwriters, if any, to such Holder and (ii) a letter dated such date, from the independent certified public accountants of the Company who have certified the Company’s financial statements included in such Registration Statement, in form and substance as is customarily given by independent certified public accountants to underwriters in an underwritten public offering, addressed to the underwriters, if any, and to such Holder;

 

(o)     make available to the Holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement covering the period of at least twelve (12) months, but not more than eighteen (18) months, beginning with the first month of the first fiscal quarter after the effective date of the applicable Registration Statement, which earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act, including Rule 158 promulgated thereunder; provided that such requirement will be deemed to be satisfied if the Company timely files complete and accurate information on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K under the Securities Exchange Act and otherwise complies with Rule 158 under the Securities Act or any successor rule thereto; and

 

(p)     take all other reasonable actions necessary to expedite and facilitate disposition by the Holders of the Registrable Securities pursuant to the applicable Registration Statement.

 

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6.2     Obligations of the Holders. In connection with any Registration Statement utilized by the Company to satisfy the provisions of this Agreement, each Holder agrees to reasonably cooperate with the Company in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, and each Holder agrees that such cooperation shall include (a) responding within five (5) Business Days to any written request by the Company to provide or verify information regarding the Holder or the Holder’s Registrable Securities (including the proposed manner of sale) that may be required to be included in any such Registration Statement pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC, and (b) providing in a timely manner information regarding the proposed distribution by the Holder of the Registrable Securities and such other information as may be requested by the Company from time to time in connection with the preparation of and for inclusion in any Registration Statement and related Prospectus.

 

6.3     Participation in Underwritten Registrations. No Holder may participate in any underwritten registration, Underwritten Shelf Takedown or Block Trade hereunder unless such Holder (a) agrees to sell his or its Registrable Securities on the basis provided in the applicable underwriting arrangements (which shall include a customary form of underwriting agreement, which shall provide that the representations and warranties by, and the other agreements on the part of, the Company to and for the benefit of the underwriters shall also be made to and for the benefit of the participating Holders) and (b) completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements and other documents in customary form as reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements; provided, however, that, in the case of each of (a) and (b) above, if the provisions of such underwriting arrangements, or the terms or provisions of such questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements or other documents, are less favorable in any respect to such Holder than to any other person or entity that is party to such underwriting arrangements, then the Company shall use commercially reasonable best efforts to cause the parties to such underwriting arrangements to amend such arrangements so that such Holder receives the benefit of any provisions thereof that are more favorable to any other person or entity that is party thereto. If any Holder does not approve of the terms of such underwriting arrangements, such Holder may elect to withdraw from such offering by providing written notice to the Company and the underwriter.

 

6.4     Offers and Sales. All offers and sales by a Holder under any Registration Statement shall be completed within the period during which the Registration Statement is required to remain effective pursuant to the applicable provision above and not the subject of any stop order, injunction or other order of the SEC. Upon expiration of such period, no Holder will offer or sell the Registrable Securities under the Registration Statement. If directed in writing by the Company, each Holder will return or, in each such Holder’s sole discretion destroy, all undistributed copies of the applicable Prospectus in its possession upon the expiration of such period.

 

6.5     Lockup. In connection with any underwritten public offering of securities of the Company, each Holder (other than the Grenadier Holders, Ms. Barnes and Messrs. Sturdivant and Colvin and each of their Permitted Transferees, unless participating in such underwritten public offering) agrees (a “Lock-Up Agreement”) not to effect any sale or distribution, including any sale pursuant to Rule 144, of any Registrable Securities, and not to effect any sale or distribution of other securities of the Company or of any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any other securities of the Company (in each case, other than as part of such underwritten public offering), in each case, during the seven (7) calendar days prior to, and during such period as the managing underwriter may require (not to exceed ninety (90) calendar days) (or such other period as may be requested by the Company or the managing underwriter to comply with regulatory restrictions on (a) the publication or other distribution of research reports and (b) analyst recommendations and opinions, including, but not limited to, the restrictions contained in FINRA Rule 2711(f)(4), or any successor provisions or amendments thereto)) beginning on, the closing date of the sale of such securities pursuant to such an effective registration statement, except as part of such registration; provided that all executive officers and directors of the Company are bound by and have entered into substantially similar Lock-Up Agreements; and provided further that the foregoing provisions shall only be applicable to such Holders if all such Holders, officers and directors are treated similarly with respect to any release prior to the termination of the lock-up period such that if any such persons are released, then all Holders shall also be released to the same extent on a pro rata basis.

 

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Section 7.     INDEMNIFICATION; CONTRIBUTION

 

7.1     Indemnification by the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Holder and each person, if any, who controls any Holder within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act, and any of their partners, members, managers, officers, directors, trustees, employees or representatives, as follows:

 

(a)     against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage, judgment and expense whatsoever, as incurred (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to such Holders), arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) pursuant to which the Registrable Securities were registered under the Securities Act, including all documents incorporated therein by reference, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (within the meaning of Rule 433 of the Securities Act, and together with any preliminary Prospectus and other information conveyed to the purchaser of Registrable Securities at the time of sale (as such terms are used in Rule 159(a) of the Securities Act), the “General Disclosure Package”), the General Disclosure Package, or any Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), including all documents incorporated therein by reference, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

 

(b)     against any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act, any state securities law or any rule or regulation promulgated under the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act or any state securities law;

 

(c)     against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage, judgment and expense whatsoever, as incurred (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to such Holders), and to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, any such alleged untrue statement or omission, or any such violation or alleged violation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed); and

 

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(d)     against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to such Holders), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing, defending against or participating in (as a witness or otherwise) any litigation, arbitration, action, or investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, in each case whether or not a party, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, any such alleged untrue statement or omission or any such violation or alleged violation, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under subparagraph (a), (b) or (c) above;

 

provided, however, that the indemnity provided pursuant to Sections 7.1 through 7.3 does not apply to any Holder with respect to any loss, liability, claim, damage, judgment or expense to the extent arising out of  any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in strict conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Holder expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or  such Holder’s failure to deliver an amended or supplemental Prospectus furnished to such Holder by the Company, if required by law to have been delivered, if such loss, liability, claim, damage, judgment or expense would not have arisen had such delivery occurred.

 

7.2     Indemnification by Holder. Each Holder severally and not jointly agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, and each of its directors and officers (including each director and officer of the Company who signed a Registration Statement), and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act, as follows:

 

(a)     against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage, judgment and expense whatsoever, as incurred (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel), arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) pursuant to which the Registrable Securities of such Holder were registered under the Securities Act, including all documents incorporated therein by reference, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (within the meaning of Rule 433 of the Securities Act), the General Disclosure Package, or any Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), including all documents incorporated therein by reference, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

 

(b)     against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage, judgment and expense whatsoever, as incurred (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel), and to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of such Holder; and

 

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(c)     against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing, defending or participating in (as a witness or otherwise) against any litigation, or investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, in each case whether or not a party, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under subparagraph (a) or (b) above;

 

provided, however, that a Holder shall only be liable under the indemnity provided pursuant to Sections 7.1 through 7.3 with respect to any loss, liability, claim, damage, judgment or expense to the extent arising out of  any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in strict conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Holder expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or  such Holder’s failure to deliver an amended or supplemental Prospectus furnished to such Holder by the Company, if required by law to have been delivered, if such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense would not have arisen had such delivery occurred. Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 7.1 through 7.3, a Holder and any permitted assignee shall not be required to indemnify the Company, its officers, directors or control persons with respect to any amount in excess of the amount of the aggregate net cash proceeds received by such Holder or such permitted assignee, as the case may be, from sales of the Registrable Securities of such Holder under the Registration Statement that is the subject of the indemnification claim.

 

7.3     Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings. An indemnified party hereunder (the “Indemnified Party”) shall give reasonably prompt notice to the indemnifying party (the “Indemnifying Party”) of any action or proceeding commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify the Indemnifying Party  shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have under the indemnity provisions of Section 7.1 or 7.2 above, unless and only to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and the lack of notice by the Indemnified Party results in the forfeiture by the Indemnifying Party of substantial rights and defenses, and  shall not, in any event, relieve the Indemnifying Party from any obligations to any Indemnified Party other than the indemnification obligation provided under Section 7.1 or 7.2 above. If the Indemnifying Party so elects within a reasonable time after receipt of such notice, the Indemnifying Party may assume the defense of such action or proceeding at such Indemnifying Party’s own expense with counsel chosen by the Indemnifying Party and approved by the Indemnified Party, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed; provided, however, that the Indemnifying Party will not settle, compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any such action or proceeding without the written consent of the Indemnified Party unless such settlement, compromise or consent secures the unconditional release of the Indemnified Party; and provided further, that, if the Indemnified Party reasonably determines that a conflict of interest exists where it is advisable for the Indemnified Party to be represented by separate counsel or that, upon advice of counsel, there may be legal defenses available to the Indemnified Party which are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Party, then the Indemnifying Party shall not be entitled to assume such defense and the Indemnified Party shall be entitled to separate counsel at the Indemnifying Party’s expense. If the Indemnifying Party is not entitled to assume the defense of such action or proceeding as a result of the second proviso to the preceding sentence, the Indemnifying Party’s counsel shall be entitled to conduct the Indemnifying Party’s defense and counsel for the Indemnified Party shall be entitled to conduct the defense of the Indemnified Party, it being understood that both such counsel will cooperate with each other to conduct the defense of such action or proceeding as efficiently as possible. If the Indemnifying Party is not so entitled to assume the defense of such action or does not assume such defense, after having received the notice referred to in the first sentence of this paragraph, the Indemnifying Party will pay the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Indemnified Party. In such event, however, the Indemnifying Party will not be liable for any settlement effected without the written consent of the Indemnifying Party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. If an Indemnifying Party is entitled to assume, and assumes, the defense of such action or proceeding in accordance with this paragraph, the Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any fees and expenses of counsel for the Indemnified Party incurred thereafter in connection with such action or proceeding.

 

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7.4     Contribution.

 

(a)     In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnity agreement provided for in Sections 7.1 through 7.3 is for any reason held to be unenforceable by the Indemnified Party although applicable in accordance with its terms, the Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party shall contribute to the aggregate losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses of the nature contemplated by such indemnity agreement incurred by the Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Indemnified Party on the one hand and the Indemnifying Party on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or expenses. The relative fault of the Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the action in question, including any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact, has been made by, or relates to information supplied by, the Indemnifying Party or the Indemnified Party, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action.

 

(b)     The parties hereto agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7.4 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7.4, a Holder shall not be required to contribute any amount (together with the amount of any indemnification payments made by such Holder pursuant to Section 7.2) in excess of the amount of the aggregate net cash proceeds received by such Holder from sales of the Registrable Securities of such Holder under the Registration Statement that is the subject of the indemnification claim.

 

(c)     Notwithstanding the foregoing, no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 7.4, each person, if any, who controls a Holder within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act, and any of their partners, members, officers, directors, trustees, employees or representatives, shall have the same rights to contribution as such Holder, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed a Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

 

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Section 8.     EXPENSES

 

8.1     Expenses. The Company will pay all Registration Expenses in connection with each registration of Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2 or 3. Each Holder shall be responsible for the payment of any and all brokerage and sales commissions, fees and disbursements of the Holder’s counsel that are not Registration Expenses, accountants and other advisors, and any transfer taxes relating to the sale or disposition of the Registrable Securities by such Holder pursuant to any Registration Statement or otherwise.

 

Section 9.     RULE 144 REPORTING

 

9.1     Rule 144 Reporting. With a view to making available to the Holders the benefits of Rule 144 and any other rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit a Holder to sell securities of the Company to the public without registration or pursuant to a registration statement, if the Shares of the Company are registered under the Securities Exchange Act, the Company agrees to:

 

(a)     make and keep public information available as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144 at all times after ninety (90) calendar days after the effective date of the first registration statement filed by the Company;

 

(b)     file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act (at any time after it has become subject to such reporting requirements);

 

(c)     furnish to any Holder, so long as the Holder owns any Registrable Securities, upon request, (i) a written statement by the Company that it has complied with the reporting requirements of Rule 144 (at any time after ninety (90) calendar days after the effective date of the first registration statement filed by the Company), the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act (at any time after it has become subject to such reporting requirements), or that it qualifies as a registrant whose securities may be resold pursuant to a registration statement (at any time after it so qualifies) and (ii) a copy of the most recent annual or quarterly report of the Company and such other reports and documents so filed by the Company, and (iii) such other information as may be reasonably requested in availing any Holder of any rule or regulation of the SEC which permits the selling of any such securities without registration or pursuant to such form; and

 

(d)     provide notice in writing to each Holder that then has one or more designees on the Company’s board of directors of the beginning and ending of any “blackout period” in connection with the Company’s publicly issuances from time to time of earnings releases for fiscal quarter or fiscal years.

 

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Section 10.     CONFIDENTIALITY

 

10.1     Confidentiality. To the extent that the information and other material in connection with the registration rights contemplated in this Agreement (in any case, whether furnished before, on or after the date hereof) constitutes or contains confidential business, financial or other information of the Company or the Holders or their respective Affiliates, each party hereto covenants for itself and its directors, officers, employees and shareholders that it shall use due care to prevent its officers, directors, partners, employees, counsel, accountants and other representatives from disclosing such information to persons other than to their respective authorized employees, counsel, accountants, advisers, shareholders, partners, limited partners or members (or proposed shareholders, partners, limited partners or members or advisers of such persons), and other authorized representatives, in each case, so long as such person agrees to keep such information confidential in accordance with the terms hereof; provided, however, that each Holder or the Company may disclose or deliver any information or other material disclosed to or received by it should such Holder or the Company be advised by its counsel that such disclosure or delivery is required by law, regulation or judicial or administrative order or process and in any such instance the Holder or the Company, as the case may be, making such disclosure shall use reasonable efforts to consult with the Company prior to making any such disclosure. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Holder will be permitted to disclose any information or other material disclosed to or received by it hereunder and not be required to provide the aforementioned notice, if such disclosure is in connection with  such Holder’s reporting obligations pursuant to Section 13 or Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act or  a routine audit by a regulatory or self-regulatory authority that maintains jurisdiction over the Holder; provided, however, that such Holder agrees, in the case of (b) in the preceding clause, to undertake to file an appropriate request seeking to have any information disclosed in connection with such routine audit treated confidentially. For purposes of this Section 10.1, “due care” means at least the same level of care that such Holder would use to protect the confidentiality of its own sensitive or proprietary information. This Section 10.1 shall not apply to information that is or becomes publicly available (other than to a person who by breach of this Agreement has caused such information to become publicly available).

 

Section 11.     RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERABILITY OF GRENADIER SHARES

 

11.1      Restrictions on Transferability of Grenadier Shares. Subject to any separate restrictions on Transfer applicable to any shares of Common Stock held by the Grenadier Holders, and other than as set forth in this Section 11, no Grenadier Holder may Transfer any or all of its shares of Common Stock for a period of 180 days following the Effective Date without the prior written consent of the Company; provided, however, that the restriction on Transfer set forth in this sentence shall apply only to a total of ____ shares of Common Stock to be issued to the Grenadier Holders pursuant to the Grenadier Contribution Agreement; provided, further, that the restriction on Transfer set forth in this sentence shall not apply to (i) any Transfer in connection with the liquidation of Grenadier provided that each such Transferee shall be subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Section 11.1 and (ii) any Transfer to the Company or its Subsidiaries. [NTD: the number of shares of Common Stock to be inserted into the space above will be a number, calculated as of immediately following the Closing Date, of the total shares of Common Stock issued to the Grenadier Holders pursuant to the Grenadier Contribution Agreement equal to (if positive) (a), the total number of such shares of Common Stock issued to the Grenadier Holders, taken as a whole, minus (b) the positive difference between (i) the product of (A) 19% and (B) the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding as of the Closing Date and (ii) the number of shares of Common Stock issued by HighPeak Energy pursuant to any PIPE on the Closing Date. (For purposes of clarity, if the calculated amount in clause (b) above results in a negative number, then zero shall be substituted therefor). Further, if the calculated amount of shares of Common Stock to which this Section 11.1 applies is zero or negative, the entire Section 11 shall be deleted]1.

 


 

Section 12.     MISCELLANEOUS

 

12.1     Waivers. No waiver by a party hereto shall be effective unless made in a written instrument duly executed by the party against whom such waiver is sought to be enforced, and only to the extent set forth in such instrument. Neither the waiver by any of the parties hereto of a breach or a default under any of the provisions of this Agreement, nor the failure of any of the parties, on one or more occasions, to enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement or to exercise any right or privilege hereunder shall thereafter be construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach or default of a similar nature, or as a waiver of any such provisions, rights or privileges hereunder.

 

12.2     Notices. Notices to the Company and to the Holders shall be sent to their respective addresses as set forth on Schedule I attached to this Agreement. The Company or any Holder may require notices to be sent to a different address by giving notice to the other parties in accordance with this Section 12.2. Any notice or other communication required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given upon receipt if and when delivered personally, sent by facsimile transmission (the confirmation being deemed conclusive evidence of such delivery) or by courier service or five calendar days after being sent by registered or certified mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested), to such parties at such address.

 


1 Prior to the execution of this Agreement at Closing, the actual number of shares of Common Stock to be received by the Grenadier Holders that are subject to the 180-day restriction in the first sentence of this Section 11 will be specified and the bracketed language will be deleted.

 

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12.3     Public Announcements and Other Disclosure. No Holder shall make any press release, public announcement or other disclosure with respect to this Agreement without obtaining the prior written consent of the Company, except as permitted pursuant to Section 10.1 or as may be required by law or by the regulations of any securities exchange or national market system upon which the securities of any such Holder shall be listed or quoted; provided, that in the case of any such disclosure required by law or regulation, the Holder making such disclosure shall use all reasonable efforts to consult with the Company prior to making any such disclosure.

 

12.4     Headings and Interpretation. All section and subsection headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and are not intended to qualify the meaning, construction or scope of any of the provisions hereof. The Holders hereby disclaim any defense or assertion in any litigation or arbitration that any ambiguity herein should be construed against the draftsman.

 

12.5     Entire Agreement; Amendment. This Agreement (including all schedules) constitutes the entire and only agreement among the parties hereto concerning the subject matter hereof and thereof, and supersedes any prior agreements or understandings concerning the subject matter hereof and thereof. From and after the Effective Date, the provisions of the Initial Agreement granting registration rights to the Holders party thereto are superseded and replaced in their entirety with this Agreement. Any oral statements or representations or prior written matter with respect thereto not contained herein shall have no force and effect. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, no amendment, modification or discharge of this Agreement shall be valid or binding unless set forth in writing and duly executed by the Company, the Holders that, in the aggregate, hold not less than 90% of the then remaining Registrable Securities; provided further that no provision of this Agreement may be amended or modified that adversely affects the Grenadier Holders without the written consent of Holders of a majority of the then remaining Registrable Securities held by the Grenadier Holders; provided further that no provision of this Agreement may be amended or modified unless any and each Holder adversely affected by such amendment or modification in a manner different than other Holders has expressly consented in writing to such amendment or modification.

 

12.6     Assignment; Successors and Assigns. This Agreement and the rights granted hereunder may not be assigned by any Holder without the written consent of the Company; provided, however, that subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 11.1, the rights to cause the Company to register Registrable Securities pursuant to this Agreement may be assigned by a Holder to a Permitted Transferee of such Holder’s Registrable Securities or to a transferee acquiring at least $10 million of Registrable Securities as determined by reference to the volume weighted average price for such Registrable Securities on the New York Stock Exchange (or such other securities exchange or market on which the Shares are then listed or quoted) for the five trading days immediately preceding the applicable determination date; provided that such transferee or assignee agrees in writing to be bound by and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, the parties hereto, their successors, heirs, legatees, devisees, permitted assigns, legal representatives, executors and administrators, except as otherwise provided herein.

 

12.7     Saving Clause. If any provision of this Agreement, or the application of such provision to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the remainder of this Agreement, or the application of such provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is held invalid, shall not be affected thereby. If the operation of any provision of this Agreement would contravene the provisions of any applicable law, such provision shall be void and ineffectual. In the event that applicable law is subsequently amended or interpreted in such a way to make any provision of this Agreement that was formerly invalid valid, such provision shall be considered to be valid from the effective date of such interpretation or amendment.

 

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12.8     Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, and all so executed shall constitute one agreement, binding on all the parties hereto, even though all parties are not signatory to the original or the same counterpart.

 

12.9     Representations. Each of the parties hereto, as to itself only, represents that this Agreement has been duly authorized and executed by it and that all necessary corporate actions have been taken by it in order for this Agreement to be enforceable against it under all applicable laws. Each party hereto, as to itself only, further represents that all persons signing this Agreement on such party’s behalf have been duly authorized to do so.

 

12.10     Governing Law. The parties agree that this Agreement shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without application of the conflict of laws principles thereof.

 

12.11     Service of Process and Venue. Each of the parties hereto consents to submit itself to the personal jurisdiction of the United States District Court of the District of Delaware, the Delaware Supreme Court and the federal courts of the United States of America located in the State of Delaware in the event any dispute arises out of this Agreement,  agrees that it will not attempt to deny or defeat such personal jurisdiction by motion or other request for leave from any such court,  agrees that it will not bring any action relating to this Agreement in any court other than any court of the United States located in the State of Delaware and consents to service being made through the notice procedures set forth in Section 12.2 hereof. Each of the parties hereto hereby agrees that service of any process, summons, notice or document by U.S. registered mail pursuant to Section 12.2 hereof shall be effective service of process for any suit or proceeding in connection with this Agreement.

 

12.12     Specific Performance. The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with the terms hereof, and that the Holders and the Company shall be entitled to specific performance of the terms hereof, in addition to any other remedy at law or equity.

 

12.13     No Third Party Beneficiaries. It is the explicit intention of the parties hereto that no person or entity other than the parties hereto is or shall be entitled to bring any action to enforce any provision of this Agreement against any of the parties hereto, and the covenants, undertakings and agreements set forth in this Agreement shall be solely for the benefit of, and shall be enforceable only by, the parties hereto or their respective successors, heirs, executors, administrators, legal representatives and permitted assigns.

 

12.14     General Interpretive Principles. For purposes of this Agreement, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:

 

(a)     the terms defined in this Agreement include the plural as well as the singular, and the use of any gender or neuter form herein shall be deemed to include the other gender and the neuter form;

 

(b)     references herein to “Sections”, “subsections,” “paragraphs”, and other subdivisions without reference to a document are to designated Sections, paragraphs and other subdivisions of this Agreement;

 

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(c)     a reference to a paragraph without further reference to a Section is a reference to such paragraph as contained in the same Section in which the reference appears, and this rule shall also apply to other subdivisions;

 

(d)     the words “herein”, “hereof”, “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision;

 

(e)     the term “include”, includes” or “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation”; and

 

(f)     the term “person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, an association, a joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, governmental or political subdivision or agency, or any other entity of whatever nature.

 

12.15     Termination. This Agreement shall terminate and be void and of no further force and effect, and all rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall terminate without any further liability on the part of any party in respect thereof, upon the earlier to occur of (a) the mutual written agreement of each of the parties hereto to terminate this Agreement or (b) such date as no Registrable Securities remain outstanding.

 

12.16     Restriction on Transfer After Transaction. The Shares issued upon the exchange of Pure Founder Shares may not be sold until (i) with respect to Shares issued upon exchange of 50% of the Pure Founder Shares, the period ending on the earlier of (A) one year after the Effective Date or (B) subsequent to the Effective Date, if the last sale price of Common Stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations and recapitalizations) for any 20-trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing after the Effective Date and (ii) with respect to the Shares issued upon the exchange of the remaining 50% of the Pure Founder Shares, one year after the Effective Date, or earlier, in either case, if, subsequent to the Effective Date on the date on which the Company consummates a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their Shares for cash, securities or other property.

 

12.17     No Inconsistent Agreements; Additional Rights. The Company shall not hereafter enter into, and is not currently a party to, any agreement with respect to its securities that is inconsistent in any material respect with, or superior to, the registration rights granted to the Holders by this Agreement. Notwithstanding any other rights and remedies the Holders may have in respect of the Company or such other party pursuant to this Agreement, if the Company enters into any other registration rights or similar agreement with respect to any of its securities that contains provisions that violate the preceding sentence, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall immediately be deemed to have been amended without further action by the Company or any of the Holders of Registrable Securities so that such Holders of such Registrable Securities shall each be entitled to the benefit of any such more favorable or less restrictive terms or conditions, as the case may be. For the avoidance of doubt, each Holder party to the Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of April 12, 2018, between Pure, HighPeak Pure Acquisition, LLC and the other Holders party thereto, agrees that any rights thereunder with respect to Pure are hereby superseded in all respects by the rights of such Holders hereunder with respect to the Company.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

 

COMPANY:

     
 

HIGHPEAK ENERGY, INC.

     
 

By:

 
 

Name:

 
 

Title:

 
     
  GRENADIER:
   
  GRENADIER ENERGY PARTNERS II, LLC
     
  By:  
  Name: Patrick J. Noyes
  Title: President and CEO
     
     
 

HOLDERS:

     
     
 

HIGHPEAK PURE ACQUISITION, LLC

     
     
 

By:

 
 

Name:

 
 

Title:

 
     
     
 

HighPeak Energy Partners, LP

     
     
 

By: HighPeak Energy Partners GP, LLC

 

Its: General Partner

   
   
 

By:

 
 

Name:

 
 

Title:

 
     
     
 

HighPeak Energy Partners II, LP

     
     
 

By: HighPeak Energy Partners GP II, LLC

 

Its: General Partner

     
     
 

By:

 
 

Name:

 
 

Title:

 
     

 

 

 

 

 

HighPeak Energy Partners III, LP

     
     
 

By: HighPeak Energy Partners GP III, LLC

 

Its: General Partner

     
     
 

By:

 
 

Name:

 
 

Title:

 
     
  HIGHPEAK WARRANT, LLC
     
     
  By:  
  Name:  
  Title:  
     
  GRENADIER ENERGY PARTNERS II, LLC
     
  By:  
  Name:  
  Title:  
     
     
     
 

By:

 
 

Name:

Jack Hightower

     
     
     
 

By:

 
 

Name:

Sylvia K. Barnes

     
     
     
 

By:

 
 

Name:

Jared S. Sturdivant

     
     
     
 

By:

 
 

Name:

M. Gregory Colvin

 

 

 
 

 

Exhibit C
Form of LTIP

 

 

FORM OF LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN

 

 

 

 

HIGHPEAK ENERGY, INC.

 

LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN

 

 

1.     Purpose. The purpose of the HighPeak Energy, Inc. Long Term Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is to provide a means through which (a) HighPeak Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and its Affiliates may attract, retain and motivate qualified persons as employees, directors and consultants, thereby enhancing the profitable growth of the Company and its Affiliates and (b) persons upon whom the responsibilities of the successful administration and management of the Company and its Affiliates rest, and whose present and potential contributions to the Company and its Affiliates are of importance, can acquire and maintain stock ownership or awards the value of which is tied to the performance of the Company, thereby strengthening their concern for the Company and its Affiliates. Accordingly, the Plan provides for the grant of Options, Stock Awards, Dividend Equivalents, Cash Awards, Substitute Awards, or any combination of the foregoing, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.

 

2.     Definitions. For purposes of the Plan, the following terms shall be defined as set forth below:

 

(a)     “Affiliate” means, with respect to any person or entity, any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, association, trust or other organization that, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with such person or entity. For purposes of the preceding sentence, “control” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as used with respect to any entity or organization, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power (i) to vote more than 50% of the securities having ordinary voting power for the election of directors of the controlled entity or organization or (ii) to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of the controlled entity or organization, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise.

 

(b)     “ASC Topic 718” means the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation, as amended or any successor accounting standard.

 

(c)     “Award” means any Option, Stock Award, Dividend Equivalent, Cash Award or Substitute Award, together with any other right or interest, granted under the Plan.

 

(d)     “Award Agreement” means any written instrument (including any employment, severance or change in control agreement) that sets forth the terms, conditions, restrictions and/or limitations applicable to an Award, in addition to those set forth under the Plan.

 

(e)     “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(f)     “Cash Award” means an Award denominated in cash granted under Section 6(e).

 

 

 

 

(g)     “Change in Control” means, except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, the occurrence of any of the following events after the Effective Date:

 

(i)     The acquisition by any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of 50% or more of either (x) the then-outstanding shares of Stock (the “Outstanding Stock”) or (y) the combined voting power of the then-outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the “Outstanding Company Voting Securities”); provided, however, that for purposes of this clause (i), the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in Control: (A) any acquisition directly from the Company, (B) any acquisition by the Company or its subsidiaries, (C) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any entity controlled by the Company or (D) any acquisition by any entity pursuant to a transaction that complies with clauses (A), (B) and (C) of clause (iii) below;

 

(ii)     The individuals constituting the Board on the Effective Date (the “Incumbent Directors”) cease for any reason (other than death or disability) to constitute at least majority of the Board; provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to the Effective Date whose election, or nomination for election, by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Incumbent Directors (either by a specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such person is named as a nominee for director, without objection to such nomination) will be considered as though such individual were an Incumbent Director, but excluding, for purposes of this proviso, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened proxy contest with respect to election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a “person” (as used in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act), in each case, other than the Board, which individual, for the avoidance of doubt, shall not be deemed to be an Incumbent Director for purposes of this definition, regardless of whether such individual was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Incumbent Directors;

 

(iii)     Consummation of a reorganization, merger or consolidation or sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or an acquisition of assets of another entity (a “Business Combination”), in each case, unless, following such Business Combination, (A) the Outstanding Stock and Outstanding Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such Business Combination represent or are converted into or exchanged for securities which represent or are convertible into more than 50% of, respectively, the then-outstanding shares of common stock or common equity interests and the combined voting power of the then-outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors or other governing body, as the case may be, of the entity resulting from such Business Combination (including an entity which as a result of such transaction owns the Company, or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries), (B) no individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act), excluding the Company, its subsidiaries and any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or the entity resulting from such Business Combination (or any entity controlled by either the Company or the entity resulting from such Business Combination), beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of, respectively, the then-outstanding shares of common stock or common equity interests of the entity resulting from such Business Combination or the combined voting power of the then-outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors or other governing body of such entity except to the extent that such ownership results solely from direct or indirect ownership of the Company that existed prior to the Business Combination, and (C) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors or similar governing body of the entity resulting from such Business Combination were Incumbent Directors at the time of the execution of the initial agreement, or of the action of the Board, providing for such Business Combination; or

 

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(iv)     Approval by the stockholders of the Company of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company; or

 

(v)     If any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) having beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of less than 30% on the Effective Date acquires the ability to appoint a majority of the Board.

 

For purposes of Section 2(g)(i), (iii) and (v), acquisitions of securities in the Company by HighPeak Affiliates shall not constitute a Change in Control. Notwithstanding any provision of this Section 2(g), for purposes of an Award that provides for a deferral of compensation under the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules, to the extent the impact of a Change in Control on such Award would subject a Participant to additional taxes under the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules, a Change in Control described in subsection (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) or (v) above with respect to such Award will mean both a Change in Control and a “change in the ownership of a corporation,” “change in the effective control of a corporation,” or a “change in the ownership of a substantial portion of a corporation’s assets” within the meaning of the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules as applied to the Company.

 

(h)     “Change in Control Price” means the amount determined in the following clause (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) or (v), whichever the Committee determines is applicable, as follows: (i) the price per share offered to holders of Stock in any merger or consolidation, (ii) the per share Fair Market Value of the Stock immediately before the Change in Control or other event without regard to assets sold in the Change in Control or other event and assuming the Company has received the consideration paid for the assets in the case of a sale of the assets, (iii) the amount distributed per share of Stock in a dissolution transaction, (iv) the price per share offered to holders of Stock in any tender offer or exchange offer whereby a Change in Control or other event takes place, or (v) if such Change in Control or other event occurs other than pursuant to a transaction described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) of this Section 2(h), the value per share of the Stock that may otherwise be obtained with respect to such Awards or to which such Awards track, as determined by the Committee as of the date determined by the Committee to be the date of cancellation and surrender of such Awards. In the event that the consideration offered to stockholders of the Company in any transaction described in this Section 2(h) or in Section 8(e) consists of anything other than cash, the Committee shall determine the fair cash equivalent of the portion of the consideration offered which is other than cash and such determination shall be binding on all affected Participants to the extent applicable to Awards held by such Participants.

 

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(i)     “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, including the guidance and regulations promulgated thereunder and successor provisions, guidance and regulations thereto.

 

(j)     “Committee” means a committee of two or more directors designated by the Board to administer the Plan; provided, however, that, unless otherwise determined by the Board, the Committee shall consist solely of two or more Qualified Members.

 

(k)     “Dividend Equivalent” means a right, granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(d), to receive cash, Stock, other Awards or other property equal in value to dividends paid with respect to a specified number of shares of Stock, or other periodic payments.

 

(l)     “Effective Date” means [●], 2019.

 

(m)     “Eligible Person” means any individual who, as of the date of grant of an Award, is an officer or employee of the Company or of any of its Affiliates, and any other person who provides services to the Company or any of its Affiliates, including directors of the Company; provided, however, that, any such individual must be an “employee” of the Company or any of its parents or subsidiaries within the meaning of General Instruction A.1(a) to Form S-8 if such individual is granted an Award that may be settled in Stock. An employee on leave of absence may be an Eligible Person.

 

(n)     “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, including the guidance, rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and successor provisions, guidance, rules and regulations thereto.

 

(o)     “Fair Market Value” of a share of Stock means, as of any specified date, (i) if the Stock is listed on a national securities exchange, the closing sales price of the Stock, as reported on the stock exchange composite tape on that date (or if no sales occur on such date, on the last preceding date on which such sales of the Stock are so reported); (ii) if the Stock is not traded on a national securities exchange but is traded over the counter on such date, the average between the reported high and low bid and asked prices of Stock on the most recent date on which Stock was publicly traded on or preceding the specified date; or (iii) in the event Stock is not publicly traded at the time a determination of its value is required to be made under the Plan, the amount determined by the Committee in its discretion in such manner as it deems appropriate, taking into account all factors the Committee deems appropriate, including the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules. Notwithstanding this definition of Fair Market Value, with respect to one or more Award types, or for any other purpose for which the Committee must determine the Fair Market Value under the Plan, the Committee may elect to choose a different measurement date or methodology for determining Fair Market Value so long as the determination is consistent with the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules and all other applicable laws and regulations.

 

(p)     “HighPeak Affiliates” means HPK Energy, LP, HighPeak Energy Partners II, LP, HighPeak Energy Partners III, LP, HighPeak Pure Acquisition, LLC and each of their respective Affiliates or future Affiliates in which Jack D. Hightower has the right to appoint such future Affiliate’s respective board of managers.

 

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(q)     “ISO” means an Option intended to be and designated as an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.

 

(r)     “Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules” means the limitations and requirements of Section 409A of the Code, as amended from time to time, including the guidance and regulations promulgated thereunder and successor provisions, guidance and regulations thereto.

 

(s)     “Nonstatutory Option” means an Option that is not an ISO.

 

(t)     “Option” means a right, granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(b), to purchase Stock at a specified price during specified time periods, which may either be an ISO or a Nonstatutory Option.

 

(u)     “Participant” means a person who has been granted an Award under the Plan that remains outstanding, including a person who is no longer an Eligible Person.

 

(v)     “Qualified Member” means a member of the Board who is (i) a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3(b)(3), and (ii) “independent” under the listing standards or rules of the securities exchange upon which the Stock is traded, but only to the extent such independence is required in order to take the action at issue pursuant to such standards or rules.

 

(w)     “Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3, promulgated by the SEC under Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

 

(x)     “SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

(y)     “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time, including the guidance, rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and successor provisions, guidance, rules and regulations thereto.

 

(z)     “Stock” means the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and such other securities as may be substituted (or re-substituted) for Stock pursuant to Section 8.

 

(aa)     “Stock Award” means unrestricted shares of Stock granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(c).

 

(bb)     “Substitute Award” means an Award granted under Section 6(f).

 

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3.     Administration.

 

(a)     Authority of the Committee. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee except to the extent the Board elects to administer the Plan, in which case references herein to the “Committee” shall be deemed to include references to the “Board.” Subject to the express provisions of the Plan, Rule 16b-3 and other applicable laws, the Committee shall have the authority, in its sole and absolute discretion, to:

 

(i)     designate Eligible Persons as Participants;

 

(ii)     determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to an Eligible Person;

 

(iii)     determine the number of shares of Stock or amount of cash to be covered by Awards;

 

(iv)     determine the terms and conditions of any Award, including whether, to what extent and under what circumstances Awards may be vested, settled, exercised, cancelled or forfeited (including conditions based on continued employment or service requirements or the achievement of one or more performance goals);

 

(v)     modify, waive or adjust any term or condition of an Award that has been granted, which may include the acceleration of vesting, waiver of forfeiture restrictions, modification of the form of settlement of the Award (for example, from cash to Stock or vice versa), early termination of a performance period, or modification of any other condition or limitation regarding an Award;

 

(vi)     determine the treatment of an Award upon a termination of employment or other service relationship;

 

(vii)     impose a holding period with respect to an Award or the shares of Stock received in connection with an Award;

 

(viii)     interpret and administer the Plan and any Award Agreement;

 

(ix)     correct any defect, supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan, in any Award, or in any Award Agreement; and

 

(x)     make any other determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan.

 

The express grant of any specific power to the Committee, and the taking of any action by the Committee, shall not be construed as limiting any power or authority of the Committee. Any action of the Committee shall be final, conclusive and binding on all persons, including the Company, its Affiliates, stockholders, Participants, beneficiaries, and permitted transferees under Section 7(a) or other persons claiming rights from or through a Participant.

 

(b)     Exercise of Committee Authority. At any time that a member of the Committee is not a Qualified Member, any action of the Committee relating to an Award granted or to be granted to an Eligible Person who is then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act in respect of the Company where such action is not taken by the full Board may be taken either (i) by a subcommittee, designated by the Committee, composed solely of two or more Qualified Members, or (ii) by the Committee but with each such member who is not a Qualified Member abstaining or recusing himself or herself from such action; provided, however, that upon such abstention or recusal, the Committee remains composed solely of two or more Qualified Members. Such action, authorized by such a subcommittee or by the Committee upon the abstention or recusal of such non-Qualified Member(s), shall be the action of the Committee for purposes of the Plan. For the avoidance of doubt, the full Board may take any action relating to an Award granted or to be granted to an Eligible Person who is then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act in respect of the Company.

 

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(c)     Delegation of Authority. The Committee may delegate any or all of its powers and duties under the Plan to a subcommittee of directors or to any officer of the Company, including the power to perform administrative functions and grant Awards; provided, that such delegation does not (i) violate state or corporate law, or (ii) result in the loss of an exemption under Rule 16b-3(d)(1) for Awards granted to Participants subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act in respect of the Company. Upon any such delegation, all references in the Plan to the “Committee,” other than in Section 8, shall be deemed to include any subcommittee or officer of the Company to whom such powers have been delegated by the Committee. Any such delegation shall not limit the right of such subcommittee members or such an officer to receive Awards; provided, however, that such subcommittee members and any such officer may not grant Awards to himself or herself, a member of the Board, or any executive officer of the Company or its Affiliate, or take any action with respect to any Award previously granted to himself or herself, a member of the Board, or any executive officer of the Company or its Affiliate. The Committee may also appoint agents who are not executive officers of the Company or members of the Board to assist in administering the Plan, provided, however, that such individuals may not be delegated the authority to grant or modify any Awards that will, or may, be settled in Stock.

 

(d)     Limitation of Liability. The Committee and each member thereof shall be entitled to, in good faith, rely or act upon any report or other information furnished to him or her by any officer or employee of the Company or any of its Affiliates, the Company’s legal counsel, independent auditors, consultants or any other agents assisting in the administration of the Plan. Members of the Committee and any officer or employee of the Company or any of its Affiliates acting at the direction or on behalf of the Committee shall not be personally liable for any action or determination taken or made in good faith with respect to the Plan, and shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be indemnified and held harmless by the Company with respect to any such action or determination.

 

(e)     Participants in Non-U.S. Jurisdictions. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, to comply with applicable laws in countries other than the United States in which the Company or any of its Affiliates operates or has employees, directors or other service providers from time to time, or to ensure that the Company complies with any applicable requirements of foreign securities exchanges, the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall have the power and authority to: (i) determine which of the Company’s Affiliates shall be covered by the Plan; (ii) determine which Eligible Persons outside the United States are eligible to participate in the Plan; (iii) modify the terms and conditions of any Award granted to Eligible Persons outside the United States to comply with applicable foreign laws or listing requirements of any foreign exchange; (iv) establish sub-plans and modify exercise procedures and other terms and procedures, to the extent such actions may be necessary or advisable (any such sub-plans and/or modifications shall be attached to the Plan as appendices), provided, however, that no such sub-plans and/or modifications shall increase the share limitations contained in Section 4(a); and (v) take any action, before or after an Award is granted, that it deems advisable to comply with any applicable governmental regulatory exemptions or approval or listing requirements of any such foreign securities exchange. For purposes of the Plan, all references to foreign laws, rules, regulations or taxes shall be references to the laws, rules, regulations and taxes of any applicable jurisdiction other than the United States or a political subdivision thereof.

 

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4.     Stock Subject to the Plan.

 

(a)     Number of Shares Available for Delivery. Subject to adjustment in a manner consistent with Section 8, a number of shares of Stock equal to 13% of the outstanding shares of Stock on the Effective Date (the “Share Pool”) are reserved and available for delivery with respect to Awards, and 1,300 shares of common stock will be available for the issuance of shares upon the exercise of ISOs. On January 1, 2020 and January 1 of each calendar year occurring thereafter and prior to the expiration of the Plan, the Share Pool will automatically be increased by (i) the number of shares of Stock issued under the Plan during the immediately preceding calendar year and (ii) 13% of the number of shares of Stock that are newly issued by the Company (other than those issued under the Plan) during the immediately preceding calendar year. For the avoidance of doubt, shares of Stock will not be made available pursuant to both the preceding sentence and Section 4(c).

 

(b)     Application of Limitation to Grants of Awards. Subject to Section 4(c), no Award may be granted if the number of shares of Stock that may be delivered in connection with such Award exceeds the number of shares of Stock remaining available under the Plan minus the number of shares of Stock issuable in settlement of or relating to then-outstanding Awards. The Committee may adopt reasonable counting procedures to ensure appropriate counting, avoid double counting (as, for example, in the case of tandem or Substitute Awards) and make adjustments if the number of shares of Stock actually delivered differs from the number of shares previously counted in connection with an Award.

 

(c)     Availability of Shares Not Delivered under Awards. If all or any portion of an Award expires or is cancelled, forfeited, exchanged, settled in cash or otherwise terminated, the shares of Stock subject to such Award (including the number of shares withheld or surrendered to the Company in payment of any exercise or purchase price of an Award or taxes relating to Awards) shall not be considered “delivered shares” under the Plan, shall be available for delivery with respect to Awards, and shall no longer be considered issuable or related to outstanding Awards for purposes of Section 4(b). If an Award may be settled only in cash, such Award need not be counted against any share limit under this Section 4.

 

(d)     Shares Available Following Certain Transactions. Substitute Awards granted in accordance with applicable stock exchange requirements and in substitution or exchange for awards previously granted by a company acquired by the Company or any subsidiary or with which the Company or any subsidiary combines shall not reduce the shares authorized for issuance under the Plan, nor shall shares subject to such Substitute Awards be added to the shares available for issuance under the Plan as provided above (whether or not such Substitute Awards are later cancelled, forfeited or otherwise terminated).

 

(e)     Stock Offered. The shares of Stock to be delivered under the Plan shall be made available from (i) authorized but unissued shares of Stock, (ii) Stock held in the treasury of the Company, or (iii) previously issued shares of Stock reacquired by the Company, including shares purchased on the open market.

 

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5.     Eligibility. Awards may be granted under the Plan only to Eligible Persons.

 

6.     Specific Terms of Awards.

 

(a)     General. Awards may be granted on the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 6. Awards granted under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone, in addition to, or in tandem with any other Award. In addition, the Committee may impose on any Award or the exercise thereof, at the date of grant or thereafter (subject to Section 10), such additional terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as the Committee shall determine. Without limiting the scope of the preceding sentence, the Committee may use such business criteria and other measures of performance as it may deem appropriate in establishing any performance goals applicable to an Award, and any such performance goals may differ among Awards granted to any one Participant or to different Participants.  Except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, the Committee may exercise its discretion to reduce or increase the amounts payable under any Award.

 

(b)     Options. The Committee is authorized to grant Options, which may be designated as either ISOs or Nonstatutory Options, to Eligible Persons on the following terms and conditions:

 

(i)     Exercise Price. Each Award Agreement evidencing an Option shall state the exercise price per share of Stock (the “Exercise Price”) established by the Committee; provided, however, that except as provided in Section 6(f) or in Section 8, the Exercise Price of an Option shall not be less than the greater of (A) the par value per share of the Stock or (B) 100% of the Fair Market Value per share of the Stock as of the date of grant of the Option (or in the case of an ISO granted to an individual who owns stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or its parent or any of its subsidiaries, 110% of the Fair Market Value per share of the Stock on the date of grant). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Exercise Price of a Nonstatutory Option may be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value per share of Stock as of the date of grant of the Option if the Option (1) does not provide for a deferral of compensation by reason of satisfying the short-term deferral exception set forth in the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules or (2) provides for a deferral of compensation and is compliant with the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules.

 

(ii)     Time and Method of Exercise; Other Terms. The Committee shall determine the methods by which the Exercise Price may be paid or deemed to be paid, the form of such payment, including cash or cash equivalents, Stock (including previously owned shares or through a cashless exercise, i.e., “net settlement”, a broker-assisted exercise, or other reduction of the amount of shares otherwise issuable pursuant to the Option), other Awards or awards granted under other plans of the Company or any Affiliate of the Company, other property, or any other legal consideration the Committee deems appropriate (including notes or other contractual obligations of Participants to make payment on a deferred basis), the methods by or forms in which Stock will be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants and any other terms and conditions of any Option. In the case of an exercise whereby the Exercise Price is paid with Stock, such Stock shall be valued based on the Stock’s Fair Market Value as of the date of exercise. No Option may be exercisable for a period of more than ten years following the date of grant of the Option (or in the case of an ISO granted to an individual who owns stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or its parent or any of its subsidiaries, for a period of more than five years following the date of grant of the ISO).

 

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(iii)     ISOs. The terms of any ISO granted under the Plan shall comply in all respects with the provisions of Section 422 of the Code. ISOs may only be granted to Eligible Persons who are employees of the Company or employees of a parent or any subsidiary corporation of the Company. Except as otherwise provided in Section 8, no term of the Plan relating to ISOs shall be interpreted, amended or altered, nor shall any discretion or authority granted under the Plan be exercised, so as to disqualify either the Plan or any ISO under Section 422 of the Code, unless notice has been provided to the Participant that such change will result in such disqualification. ISOs shall not be granted more than ten years after the earlier of the adoption of the Plan or the approval of the Plan by the Company’s stockholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value of shares of Stock subject to an ISO and the aggregate Fair Market Value of shares of stock of any parent or subsidiary corporation (within the meaning of Sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code) subject to any other incentive stock options of the Company or a parent or subsidiary corporation (within the meaning of Sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code) that are exercisable for the first time by a Participant during any calendar year exceeds $100,000, or such other amount as may be prescribed under Section 422 of the Code, such excess shall be treated as Nonstatutory Options in accordance with the Code. As used in the previous sentence, Fair Market Value shall be determined as of the date the ISO is granted. If a Participant shall make any disposition of shares of Stock issued pursuant to an ISO under the circumstances described in Section 421(b) of the Code (relating to disqualifying dispositions), the Participant shall notify the Company of such disposition within the time provided to do so in the applicable award agreement.

 

(c)     Stock Awards. The Committee is authorized to grant Stock Awards to members of the Board as a bonus, as additional compensation, or in lieu of cash compensation any such member of the Board is otherwise entitled to receive, in such amounts and subject to such other terms as the Committee in its discretion determines to be appropriate.

 

(d)     Dividend Equivalents. The Committee is authorized to grant Dividend Equivalents to Eligible Persons, entitling any such Eligible Person to receive cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property equal in value to dividends or other distributions paid with respect to a specified number of shares of Stock. Dividend Equivalents may be awarded on a free-standing basis or in connection with another Award (other than a Stock Award). The Committee may provide that Dividend Equivalents shall be paid or distributed when accrued or at a later specified date and, if distributed at a later date, may be deemed to have been reinvested in additional Stock, Awards, or other investment vehicles or accrued in a bookkeeping account without interest, and subject to such restrictions on transferability and risks of forfeiture, as the Committee may specify. With respect to Dividend Equivalents granted in connection with another Award, absent a contrary provision in the Award Agreement, such Dividend Equivalents shall be subject to the same restrictions and risk of forfeiture as the Award with respect to which the dividends accrue and shall not be paid unless and until such Award has vested and been earned.

 

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(e)     Cash Awards. The Committee is authorized to grant Cash Awards, on a free-standing basis or as an element of, a supplement to, or in lieu of any other Award under the Plan to Eligible Persons in such amounts and subject to such other terms as the Committee in its discretion determines to be appropriate.

 

(f)     Substitute Awards; No Repricing. Awards may be granted in substitution or exchange for any other Award granted under the Plan or under another plan of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company or any other right of an Eligible Person to receive payment from the Company or an Affiliate of the Company. Awards may also be granted under the Plan in substitution for awards held by individuals who become Eligible Persons as a result of a merger, consolidation or acquisition of another entity or the assets of another entity by or with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company. Such Substitute Awards referred to in the immediately preceding sentence that are Options may have an exercise price that is less than the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of the substitution if such substitution complies with the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules, Section 424 of the Code and the guidance and regulations promulgated thereunder, if applicable, and other applicable laws and exchange rules. Except as provided in this Section 6(f) or in Section 8, without the approval of the stockholders of the Company, the terms of outstanding Awards may not be amended to (i) reduce the Exercise Price of an outstanding Option, (ii) grant a new Option or other Award in substitution for, or upon the cancellation of, any previously granted Option that has the effect of reducing the Exercise Price thereof, (iii) exchange any Option for Stock, cash or other consideration when the Exercise Price per share of Stock under such Option exceeds the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock or (iv) take any other action that would be considered a “repricing” of an Option under the applicable listing standards of the national securities exchange on which the Stock is listed (if any).

 

7.     Certain Provisions Applicable to Awards.

 

(a)     Limit on Transfer of Awards.

 

(i)     Except as provided in Sections 7(a)(iii) and (iv), each Option and SAR shall be exercisable only by the Participant during the Participant’s lifetime, or by the person to whom the Participant’s rights shall pass by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 7(a), an ISO shall not be transferable other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.

 

(ii)     Except as provided in Sections 7(a)(i), (iii) and (iv), no Award, other than a Stock Award, and no right under any such Award, may be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by a Participant and any such purported assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or any Affiliate of the Company.

 

(iii)     To the extent specifically provided by the Committee, an Award may be transferred by a Participant on such terms and conditions as the Committee may from time to time establish.

 

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(iv)     An Award may be transferred pursuant to a domestic relations order entered or approved by a court of competent jurisdiction upon delivery to the Company of a written request for such transfer and a certified copy of such order.

 

(b)     Form and Timing of Payment under Awards; Deferrals. Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, payments to be made by the Company or any of its Affiliates upon the exercise or settlement of an Award may be made in such forms as the Committee shall determine in its discretion, including cash, Stock, other Awards or other property, and may be made in a single payment or transfer, in installments, or on a deferred basis (which may be required by the Committee or permitted at the election of the Participant on terms and conditions established by the Committee); provided, however, that any such deferred or installment payments will be set forth in the Award Agreement. Payments may include provisions for the payment or crediting of reasonable interest on installment or deferred payments or the grant or crediting of Dividend Equivalents or other amounts in respect of installment or deferred payments denominated in Stock.

 

(c)     Evidencing Stock. The Stock or other securities of the Company delivered pursuant to an Award may be evidenced in any manner deemed appropriate by the Committee in its sole discretion, including in the form of a certificate issued in the name of the Participant or by book entry, electronic or otherwise, and shall be subject to such stop transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the Plan or the rules, regulations, and other requirements of the SEC, any stock exchange upon which such Stock or other securities are then listed, and any applicable federal, state or other laws, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be inscribed on any such certificates to make appropriate reference to such restrictions.

 

(d)     Consideration for Grants. Awards may be granted for such consideration, including services, as the Committee shall determine, but shall not be granted for less than the minimum lawful consideration.

 

(e)     Additional Agreements. Each Eligible Person to whom an Award is granted under the Plan may be required to agree in writing, as a condition to the grant of such Award or otherwise, to subject an Award that is exercised or settled following such Eligible Person’s termination of employment or service to a general release of claims and/or a noncompetition or other restricted covenant agreement in favor of the Company and its Affiliates, with the terms and conditions of such agreement(s) to be determined in good faith by the Committee.

 

8.     Subdivision or Consolidation; Recapitalization; Change in Control; Reorganization.

 

(a)     Existence of Plans and Awards. The existence of the Plan and the Awards granted hereunder shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Company, the Board or the stockholders of the Company to make or authorize any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in the Company’s capital structure or its business, any merger or consolidation of the Company, any issue of debt or equity securities ahead of or affecting Stock or the rights thereof, the dissolution or liquidation of the Company or any sale, lease, exchange or other disposition of all or any part of its assets or business or any other corporate act or proceeding.

 

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(b)     Additional Issuances. Except as expressly provided herein, the issuance by the Company of shares of stock of any class, including upon conversion of shares or obligations of the Company convertible into such shares or other securities, and in any case whether or not for fair value, shall not affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number of shares of Stock subject to Awards theretofore granted or the purchase price per share of Stock, if applicable.

 

(c)     Subdivision or Consolidation of Shares. The terms of an Award and the share limitations under the Plan shall be subject to adjustment by the Committee from time to time, in accordance with the following provisions:

 

(i)     If at any time, or from time to time, the Company shall subdivide as a whole (by reclassification, by a Stock split, by the issuance of a distribution on Stock payable in Stock, or otherwise) the number of shares of Stock then outstanding into a greater number of shares of Stock or in the event the Company distributes an extraordinary cash dividend, then, as appropriate (A) the maximum number of shares of Stock available for delivery with respect to Awards and applicable limitations with respect to Awards provided in Section 4 (other than cash limits) shall be increased proportionately, and the kind of shares or other securities available for the Plan shall be appropriately adjusted, (B) the number of shares of Stock (or other kind of shares or securities) that may be acquired under any then-outstanding Award shall be increased proportionately, and (C) the price (including the Exercise Price) for each share of Stock (or other kind of shares or securities) subject to then-outstanding Awards shall be reduced proportionately, without changing the aggregate purchase price or value as to which outstanding Awards remain exercisable or subject to restrictions; provided, however, that in the case of an extraordinary cash dividend that is not an Adjustment Event, the adjustment to the number of shares of Stock and the Exercise Price with respect to an outstanding Option may be made in such other manner as the Committee may determine that is permitted pursuant to applicable tax and other laws, rules and regulations. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Awards that already have a right to receive extraordinary cash dividends as a result of Dividend Equivalents or other dividend rights will not be adjusted as a result of an extraordinary cash dividend.

 

(ii)     If at any time, or from time to time, the Company shall consolidate as a whole (by reclassification, by reverse Stock split, or otherwise) the number of shares of Stock then outstanding into a lesser number of shares of Stock, then, as appropriate (A) the maximum number of shares of Stock available for delivery with respect to Awards and applicable limitations with respect to Awards provided in Section 4 (other than cash limits) shall be decreased proportionately, and the kind of shares or other securities available for the Plan shall be appropriately adjusted, (B) the number of shares of Stock (or other kind of shares or securities) that may be acquired under any then-outstanding Award shall be decreased proportionately, and (C) the price (including the Exercise Price) for each share of Stock (or other kind of shares or securities) subject to then-outstanding Awards shall be increased proportionately, without changing the aggregate purchase price or value as to which outstanding Awards remain exercisable or subject to restrictions.

 

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(d)     Recapitalization. In the event of any change in the capital structure or business of the Company or other corporate transaction or event that would be considered an “equity restructuring” within the meaning of ASC Topic 718 and, in each case, that would result in an additional compensation expense to the Company pursuant to the provisions of ASC Topic 718, if adjustments to Awards with respect to such event were discretionary or otherwise not required (each such an event, an “Adjustment Event”), then the Committee shall equitably adjust (i) the aggregate number or kind of shares that thereafter may be delivered under the Plan, (ii) the number or kind of shares or other property (including cash) subject to an Award, (iii) the terms and conditions of Awards, including the purchase price or Exercise Price of Awards and performance goals, as applicable, and (iv) the applicable limitations with respect to Awards provided in Section 4 (other than cash limits) to equitably reflect such Adjustment Event (“Equitable Adjustments”). In the event of any change in the capital structure or business of the Company or other corporate transaction or event that would not be considered an Adjustment Event, and is not otherwise addressed in this Section 8, the Committee shall have complete discretion to make Equitable Adjustments (if any) in such manner as it deems appropriate with respect to such other event.

 

(e)     Change in Control and Other Events. In the event of a Change in Control or other changes in the Company or the outstanding Stock by reason of a recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, combination, exchange or other relevant change occurring after the date of the grant of any Award, the Committee, acting in its sole discretion without the consent or approval of any holder, may exercise any power enumerated in Section 3 (including the power to accelerate vesting, waive any forfeiture conditions or otherwise modify or adjust any other condition or limitation regarding an Award) and may also effect one or more of the following alternatives, which may vary among individual holders and which may vary among Awards held by any individual holder:

 

(i)     accelerate the time of exercisability of an Award so that such Award may be exercised in full or in part for a limited period of time on or before a date specified by the Committee, after which specified date all unexercised Awards and all rights of holders thereunder shall terminate;

 

(ii)     redeem in whole or in part outstanding Awards by requiring (a) the mandatory surrender to the Company by selected holders of some or all of the outstanding Awards held by such holders (irrespective of whether such Awards are then vested or exercisable) as of a date, specified by the Committee, in which event the Committee shall thereupon cancel such Awards and pay to each holder an amount of cash or other consideration per Award (other than a Dividend Equivalent or Cash Award, which the Committee may separately require to be surrendered in exchange for cash or other consideration determined by the Committee in its discretion) equal to the Change in Control Price, less the Exercise Price with respect to an Option, as applicable to such Awards or (b) the mandatory exercise by select holders of some or all of the outstanding Options as of a date, specified by the Committee; provided, however, in each case, that to the extent the Exercise Price of an Option exceeds the Change in Control Price, such Award may be cancelled for no consideration; or

 

(iii)     make such adjustments to Awards then outstanding as the Committee deems appropriate to reflect such Change in Control or other such event (including the substitution, assumption, or continuation of Awards by the successor company or a parent or subsidiary thereof);

 

provided, however, that so long as the event is not an Adjustment Event, the Committee may determine in its sole discretion that no adjustment is necessary to Awards then outstanding. If an Adjustment Event occurs, this Section 8(e) shall only apply to the extent it is not in conflict with Section 8(d).

 

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9.     General Provisions.

 

(a)     Tax Withholding. The Company and any of its Affiliates are authorized to withhold from any Award granted, or any payment relating to an Award, including from a distribution of Stock, taxes due or potentially payable in connection with any transaction involving an Award, and to take such other action as the Committee may deem advisable to enable the Company, its Affiliates and Participants to satisfy the payment of withholding taxes and other tax obligations relating to any Award in such amounts as may be determined by the Committee. The Committee shall determine, in its sole discretion, the form of payment acceptable for such tax withholding obligations, including the delivery of cash or cash equivalents, Stock (including through delivery of previously owned shares, net settlement, a broker-assisted sale, or other cashless withholding or reduction of the amount of shares otherwise issuable or delivered pursuant to the Award), other property, or any other legal consideration the Committee deems appropriate. Any determination made by the Committee to allow a Participant who is subject to Rule 16b-3 to pay taxes with shares of Stock through net settlement or previously owned shares shall be approved by either a committee made up of solely two or more Qualified Members or the full Board. If such tax withholding amounts are satisfied through net settlement or previously owned shares, the maximum number of shares of Stock that may be so withheld or surrendered shall be the number of shares of Stock that have an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of withholding or surrender equal to the aggregate amount of such tax liabilities determined based on the greatest withholding rates for federal, state, foreign and/or local tax purposes, including payroll taxes, that may be utilized without creating adverse accounting treatment for the Company with respect to such Award, as determined by the Committee.

 

(b)     Limitation on Rights Conferred under Plan. Neither the Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as (i) giving any Eligible Person or Participant the right to continue as an Eligible Person or Participant or in the employ or service of the Company or any of its Affiliates, (ii) interfering in any way with the right of the Company or any of its Affiliates to terminate any Eligible Person’s or Participant’s employment or service relationship at any time, (iii) giving an Eligible Person or Participant any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan or to be treated uniformly with other Participants and/or employees and/or other service providers, or (iv) conferring on a Participant any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company unless and until the Participant is duly issued or transferred shares of Stock in accordance with the terms of an Award.

 

(c)     Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction. All questions arising with respect to the provisions of the Plan and Awards shall be determined by application of the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any conflict of law provisions thereof, except to the extent Delaware law is preempted by federal law. The obligation of the Company to sell and deliver Stock hereunder is subject to applicable federal and state laws and to the approval of any governmental authority required in connection with the authorization, issuance, sale, or delivery of such Stock. With respect to any claim or dispute related to or arising under the Plan, the Company and each Participant who accepts an Award hereby consent to the exclusive jurisdiction, forum and venue of the state and federal courts located in Fort Worth, Texas.

 

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(d)     Severability and Reformation. If any provision of the Plan or any Award is or becomes or is deemed to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any jurisdiction or as to any person or Award, or would disqualify the Plan or any Award under any law deemed applicable by the Committee, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to conform to the applicable law or, if it cannot be construed or deemed amended without, in the determination of the Committee, materially altering the intent of the Plan or the Award, such provision shall be stricken as to such jurisdiction, person or Award and the remainder of the Plan and any such Award shall remain in full force and effect. If any of the terms or provisions of the Plan or any Award Agreement conflict with the requirements of Rule 16b-3 (as those terms or provisions are applied to Eligible Persons who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act) or Section 422 of the Code (with respect to ISOs), then those conflicting terms or provisions shall be deemed inoperative to the extent they so conflict with the requirements of Rule 16b-3 (unless the Board or the Committee, as appropriate, has expressly determined that the Plan or such Award should not comply with Rule 16b-3) or Section 422 of the Code, in each case, only to the extent Rule 16b-3 and such sections of the Code are applicable. With respect to ISOs, if the Plan does not contain any provision required to be included herein under Section 422 of the Code, that provision shall be deemed to be incorporated herein with the same force and effect as if that provision had been set out at length herein; provided, further, that, to the extent any Option that is intended to qualify as an ISO cannot so qualify, that Option (to that extent) shall be deemed a Nonstatutory Option for all purposes of the Plan.

 

(e)     Unfunded Status of Awards; No Trust or Fund Created. The Plan is intended to constitute an “unfunded” plan for certain incentive awards. Neither the Plan nor any Award shall create or be construed to create a trust or separate fund of any kind or a fiduciary relationship between the Company or any Affiliate of the Company and a Participant or any other person. To the extent that any person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company or any Affiliate of the Company pursuant to an Award, such right shall be no greater than the right of any general unsecured creditor of the Company or such Affiliate of the Company.

 

(f)     Nonexclusivity of the Plan. Neither the adoption of the Plan by the Board nor its submission to the stockholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board or a committee thereof to adopt such other incentive arrangements as it may deem desirable. Nothing contained in the Plan shall be construed to prevent the Company or any of its Affiliates from taking any corporate action which is deemed by the Company or such Affiliate of the Company to be appropriate or in its best interest, whether or not such action would have an adverse effect on the Plan or any Award made under the Plan. No employee, beneficiary or other person shall have any claim against the Company or any of its Affiliates as a result of any such action.

 

(g)     Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of Stock shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award, and the Committee shall determine in its sole discretion whether cash, other securities, or other property shall be paid or transferred in lieu of any fractional shares of Stock or whether such fractional shares of Stock or any rights thereto shall be cancelled, terminated, or otherwise eliminated with or without consideration.

 

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(h)     Interpretation. Headings are given to the Sections and subsections of the Plan solely as a convenience to facilitate reference. Such headings shall not be deemed in any way material or relevant to the construction or interpretation of the Plan or any provision thereof. Words in the masculine gender shall include the feminine gender, and, where appropriate, the plural shall include the singular and the singular shall include the plural. In the event of any conflict between the terms and conditions of an Award Agreement and the Plan, the provisions of the Plan shall control. The use herein of the word “including” following any general statement, term or matter shall not be construed to limit such statement, term or matter to the specific items or matters set forth immediately following such word or to similar items or matters, whether or not non-limiting language (such as “without limitation”, “but not limited to”, or words of similar import) is used with reference thereto, but rather shall be deemed to refer to all other items or matters that could reasonably fall within the broadest possible scope of such general statement, term or matter. References herein to any agreement, instrument or other document means such agreement, instrument or other document as amended, supplemented and modified from time to time to the extent permitted by the provisions thereof and not prohibited by the Plan.

 

(i)     Facility of Payment. Any amounts payable hereunder to any individual under legal disability or who, in the judgment of the Committee, is unable to manage properly his financial affairs, may be paid to the legal representative of such individual, or may be applied for the benefit of such individual in any manner that the Committee may select, and the Company shall be relieved of any further liability for payment of such amounts.

 

(j)     Conditions to Delivery of Stock. Nothing herein or in any Award Agreement shall require the Company to issue any shares with respect to any Award if that issuance would, in the opinion of counsel for the Company, constitute a violation of the Securities Act, any other applicable statute or regulation, or the rules of any applicable securities exchange or securities association, as then in effect. In addition, each Participant who receives an Award under the Plan shall not sell or otherwise dispose of Stock that is acquired upon grant, exercise or vesting of an Award in any manner that would constitute a violation of any applicable federal or state securities laws, the Plan or the rules, regulations or other requirements of the SEC or any stock exchange upon which the Stock is then listed. At the time of any exercise of an Option, or at the time of any grant of any other Award, the Company may, as a condition precedent to the exercise of such Option or settlement of any other Award, require from the Participant (or in the event of his or her death, hiannes or her legal representatives, heirs, legatees, or distributees) such written representations, if any, concerning the holder’s intentions with regard to the retention or disposition of the shares of Stock being acquired pursuant to the Award and such written covenants and agreements, if any, as to the manner of disposal of such shares as, in the opinion of counsel to the Company, may be necessary to ensure that any disposition by that holder (or in the event of the holder’s death, his or her legal representatives, heirs, legatees, or distributees) will not involve a violation of the Securities Act, any other applicable state or federal statute or regulation, or any rule of any applicable securities exchange or securities association, as then in effect. Stock or other securities shall not be delivered pursuant to any Award until payment in full of any amount required to be paid pursuant to the Plan or the applicable Award Agreement (including any Exercise Price or tax withholding) is received by the Company.

 

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(k)     Section 409A of the Code. It is the general intention, but not the obligation, of the Committee to design Awards to comply with or to be exempt from the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules, and Awards will be operated and construed accordingly. Neither this Section 9(k) nor any other provision of the Plan is or contains a representation to any Participant regarding the tax consequences of the grant, vesting, exercise, settlement, or sale of any Award (or the Stock underlying such Award) granted hereunder, and should not be interpreted as such. In no event shall the Company be liable for all or any portion of any taxes, penalties, interest or other expenses that may be incurred by the Participant on account of non-compliance with the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules. Notwithstanding any provision in the Plan or an Award Agreement to the contrary, in the event that a “specified employee” (as defined under the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules) becomes entitled to a payment under an Award that would be subject to additional taxes and interest under the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules if the Participant’s receipt of such payment or benefits is not delayed until the earlier of (i) the date of the Participant’s death, or (ii) the date that is six months after the Participant’s “separation from service,” as defined under the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules (such date, the “Section 409A Payment Date”), then such payment or benefit shall not be provided to the Participant until the Section 409A Payment Date. Any amounts subject to the preceding sentence that would otherwise be payable prior to the Section 409A Payment Date will be aggregated and paid in a lump sum without interest on the Section 409A Payment Date. The applicable provisions of the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules are hereby incorporated by reference and shall control over any Plan or Award Agreement provision in conflict therewith.

 

(l)     Clawback. The Plan and all Awards granted hereunder are subject to any written clawback policies that the Company, with the approval of the Board or an authorized committee thereof, may adopt either prior to or following the Effective Date, including any policy adopted to conform to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 and rules promulgated thereunder by the SEC and that the Company determines should apply to Awards. Any such policy may subject a Participant’s Awards and amounts paid or realized with respect to Awards to reduction, cancelation, forfeiture or recoupment if certain specified events or wrongful conduct occur, including an accounting restatement due to the Company’s material noncompliance with financial reporting regulations or other events or wrongful conduct specified in any such clawback policy.

 

(m)     Status under ERISA. The Plan shall not constitute an “employee benefit plan” for purposes of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.

 

(n)     Plan Effective Date and Term. The Plan was adopted by the Board to be effective on the Effective Date. No Awards may be granted under the Plan on and after the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date, which is [●], 2029. However, any Award granted prior to such termination (or any earlier termination pursuant to Section 10), and the authority of the Board or Committee to amend, alter, adjust, suspend, discontinue, or terminate any such Award or to waive any conditions or rights under such Award in accordance with the terms of the Plan, shall extend beyond such termination until the final disposition of such Award.

 

10.     Amendments to the Plan and Awards. The Committee may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or terminate any Award or Award Agreement, the Plan or the Committee’s authority to grant Awards without the consent of stockholders or Participants, except that any amendment or alteration to the Plan, including any increase in any share limitation, shall be subject to the approval of the Company’s stockholders not later than the annual meeting next following such Committee action if such stockholder approval is required by any federal or state law or regulation or the rules of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which the Stock may then be listed or quoted, and the Committee may otherwise, in its discretion, determine to submit other changes to the Plan to stockholders for approval; provided, that, without the consent of an affected Participant, no such Committee action may materially and adversely affect the rights of such Participant under any previously granted and outstanding Award. For purposes of clarity, any adjustments made to Awards pursuant to Section 8 will be deemed not to materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant under any previously granted and outstanding Award and therefore may be made without the consent of affected Participants.

 

 

18

 

 

EXHIBIT D

 

FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF MERGER

 

OF

 

PURE ACQUISITION MERGER SUB, INC.

(a Delaware corporation)

 

WITH AND INTO

 

PURE ACQUISITION CORP.

(a Delaware corporation)

 

[], 2019

 

Pursuant to Title 8, Section 251 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (as amended from time to time, the “DGCL”), Pure Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the merger of Pure Acquisition Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Merger Sub”), with and into the Company (the “Merger”), hereby certifies as follows:

 

FIRST: The names and states of incorporation of the constituent corporations to the Merger (the “Constituent Corporations”) are:

 

Name

State of Incorporation

   

Pure Acquisition Merger Sub, Inc.

Delaware

   

Pure Acquisition Corp.

Delaware

 

SECOND: A Business Combination Agreement, dated as of November 27, 2019 (the “Agreement”), by and among Merger Sub, the Company, and certain other parties thereto, has been approved, adopted, executed and acknowledged by each of the Constituent Corporations in accordance with the DGCL.

 

THIRD: Upon the effectiveness of the Merger, the Company shall be the surviving corporation (the “Surviving Corporation”), and the name of the Surviving Corporation shall be “HighPeak Energy Acquisition Corp.”

 

FOURTH: Upon the effectiveness of the Merger and by virtue of the Merger, the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company shall be amended to be identical to the Certificate of Incorporation of Merger Sub in effect immediately prior to the effectiveness of the Merger, except (a) for Article FIRST, which shall read “The name of the corporation is HighPeak Energy Acquisition Corp. (the “Corporation”)” and (b) that the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation of Merger Sub relating to the incorporator of Merger Sub shall be omitted, and, as so amended, shall read in its entirety as set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto and shall be the amended and restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Surviving Corporation until thereafter amended in accordance with the DGCL.

 

 

 

 

FIFTH: The Surviving Corporation is a corporation formed and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware.

 

SIXTH: The Merger shall be effective upon the filing of this Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in accordance with the provisions of the DGCL.

 

SEVENTH: An executed copy of the Agreement is on file at the office of the Surviving Corporation at 421 W. 3rd Street, Suite 1000, Fort Worth, Texas 76102.

 

EIGHTH: An executed copy of the Agreement will be furnished by the Surviving Corporation, on request and without cost, to any stockholder of any of the Constituent Corporations.

 

 

[Signature page follows.]

 

Exhibit D - 2

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Certificate of Merger to be executed by an authorized officer as of the date first written above.

 

 

 

PURE ACQUISITION CORP.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

 

Title:

 

 

   

 

Signature Page to Certificate of Merger

 

Exhibit D - 3

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION OF

PURE ACQUISITION CORP.

 

[Attached.]

 

Exhibit D - 4

 

 

Exhibit E

 

 

FORM OF AMENDED & RESTATED FORWARD PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

This Amended & Restated Forward Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of [             ], [           ] between HighPeak Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“HighPeak Energy”), HighPeak Energy Partners II, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HPEP II”), and HighPeak Energy Partners III, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HPEP III” and, together with HPEP II, the “Purchasers” and each individually, a “Purchaser”), and, solely for purposes of providing the written consent to assignment contemplated by Sections 4(i) and 9(f) of the original Forward Purchase Agreement (the “Original Agreement”), dated April 12, 2018, between Pure Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Pure”) and HighPeak Energy Partners, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HPEP I” and, together with Pure, the “Original Parties”).

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, Pure was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, sto